


A King And His Castle

by amoleofmonsters



Series: Sheith Month 2018 Fics [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, M/M, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sheith Month 2018, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-11 06:46:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15309735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amoleofmonsters/pseuds/amoleofmonsters
Summary: Shiro is the newly crowned King of Voltron. Keith is secretly the Prince of the Kingdom of Marmora disguised as a knight and a diplomat. There's a spark between them that's impossible to ignore.The problem?Shiro is engaged to someone else. Oh, and they're about to go to war with the Galra Empire.--For Sheith Month 2018.Chapter One, Day 7: RoyaltyChapter Two, Day 14: Star-crossedChapter Three, Day 16: IgniteChapter Four, Day 21: CopingChapter Five, Day 28: Attack





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> FINALLY finished day 7! And just in time, too, because I'm planning on writing Day 14 in this universe. I definitely want to turn this into a full length story, but I'm not entirely sure where I want it to go so it'll stay finished for now. I might write one shot continuations for this every so often during the rest of sheith month and come back to the full story that this will be the first chapter to after sheith month is over. But we'll see. It's only if I can figure out where exactly I want this story to go. I have a lot of ideas, but not entirely sure how to make a coherent, long narrative out of it. 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at sharkrinsoup.tumblr.com!

The main castle of the Voltron royal family loomed in front of Keith. He felt like a fish out of water as he stared up, his hands clammy on the horse’s reigns. He had heard rumors that the castle had been constructed by ancient magic and defied all architectural logic, but to see it in person was a completely different story. It was stark white, primarily made of marble, and the reflection of the sun against it was practically blinding. Outside its gates, a number of common folk and young knights milled about, not paying Keith any mind. He wasn’t sure what to think, what with his own armor clearly displaying the colors of another kingdom. If he were a strange knight in his home kingdom of Marmora, he would have been arrested first and asked questions later. He wasn’t sure whom he could approach for help, either. Simply walking into the castle might cause an international scandal; he was here for diplomacy, not war. 

Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry long because a short knight popped out of castle gate and approached him. “Hey, you must be the delegate from Marmora. I’m Pidge.”

Keith dropped down from his horse and shook Pidge’s hand. “Hi, Pidge. I’m Keith. It’s good to meet you.”

“I hope your trip here wasn’t too bad. Here, let’s get your horse some rest.” As Pidge said this, another knight popped out from behind the gate. “Hey, Hunk, this is Keith, the delegate from Marmora. Keith, this is my fellow knight, Hunk. Hunk, would you mind putting his horse in the stables?” 

“Sure thing.” Hunk held out his hand for Keith to shake. “Hi, Keith, I’m Hunk. It’s good to meet you.” 

“It’s good to meet you, too. Take care of, Red, all right? She has a bit of an attitude,” said Keith, shaking Hunk’s hand. He handed Hunk the reigns, and Hunk led the horse away. 

“Don’t worry about your horse. Hunk knows what he’s doing. He splits his time between the stables and the kitchens, and this castle would not run the same without him. I’ll show you around before your meeting with Shi- I mean, King Takashi.” 

The inside of the castle was just as magnificent as the outside. There were massive arches along the ceiling and all of the windows were filled with a sparkling blue glass. Keith was shown the ballroom, the kitchens, and even the guest sleeping quarters. Pidge chattered about different aspects of how the castle had been built, but Keith could barely pay attention. All he could think about was his future meeting with the king, and he wondered what kind of person he would be. King Takashi was young, having only taken the throne a few months prior. From what Keith had heard, the old king had died suddenly and without any heirs or siblings. As a result, the throne fell to a distant cousin; King Takashi had gone from a minor player in the court to the king in just a matter of days. 

At some point in their tour, Pidge stopped in their tracks and Keith nearly barreled into them. Keith was about to yell in confusion when they screeched, “Hello, Your Majesty!” and bowed. Keith’s eyes widened as he looked past Pidge to see a stately man walking towards them. He was large; at least half a head taller than Keith, and his chest was broad. He was clad in an elegant, purple, sleeveless vest that allowed Keith to get a good view of his powerful forearms. On the left side of the vest was prominently displayed the crest of Voltron, five lions arranged in a circle. His hair was black save for a white tuft that fell into his eyes. A scar had been cut into the bridge of his nose. The man held himself up with a sense of poise and decorum, his eyes warm. 

“Pidge, you don’t have to call me that just because I’m king now. Shiro is still fine.” 

The second the name was out of the man’s mouth, it dragged forth Keith’s memory of the last time he had visited Voltron. He had only been eight. He and his mother had come to visit the Voltron royal family’s summer palace since the main palace had been under major construction at the time. Keith had long forgotten the purpose of the visit, but he remembered being put in the care of a twelve-year-old boy named Shiro. That boy looked nothing like the man standing in front of him, having lacked the white hair or the scar, but it had been twelve years. Keith quickly bowed and said, “Your Majesty, my name is Keith and I am here from the Kingdom of Marmora to discuss a potential alliance. It is an honor to meet you.” His tongue felt like it was trying to tie itself into knots, but by some miracle he managed to get the words out.

King Takashi looked him over and Keith feared that he had done something to offend the man, but Shiro’s face broke out into a smile. He took Keith’s hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a kiss. “Welcome to the Castle of Lions, Keith.” 

Keith was completely dumbfounded, certain that he looked like a startled deer. He had been briefed on Voltronian customs, but what if this was something that he had missed? But one look at Pidge’s expression made him think this was a bit out of the ordinary. “T-thank you, Your Majesty.” 

“I was going to come meet you, but since you’re here, do you want to go out to the grounds? The throne room is a bit stuffy.” 

“Shiro, I’m not sure-“ 

“Um, the grounds sound great. So does the throne room. Wherever you think is best, really.” Keith knew he probably seemed like a nervous mess, but he could hear his own heart pounding in his ears. 

“Great! We’ll eventually make our way to the throne room so you can meet everyone, but you might as well see the castle while we talk. Come on, Pidge, let’s take Keith to the grounds.” Without waiting for any dissent, King Takashi turned around and started heading towards an open door. Pidge sighed and the two of them followed. When they arrived outside, the sun was beating down from overhead. On the grounds, a number of the knights were sparring. As Pidge left them to go join the knights, King Takashi led Keith into the shade underneath a tree. “So, Keith how was your trip?” 

“Not terrible. A bit long, but it could have been worse. Your castle is beautiful so I’d definitely say it was worth it.” 

“Thank you. My court and I are really excited about this potential alliance. Especially with the Galra Empire’s newfound aggression.”

“Right before I left home, there were reports that some Galra knights were seen frightening close to our border. They always run off before any confrontation with our knights, but we need to be ready in case they do.” 

“I share that sentiment, and it’s comforting to know our nations are on the same page.” He paused for a moment to rub his chin. “So I’d like to know why the Marmora court would send a prince on a simple diplomacy mission.” 

Keith’s eyes widened. “Prince? Queen Krolia has no children. I’m a knight, granted I hold a position higher than you’d expect for someone my age, but that hardly makes me a prince.” 

“I know the Marmora court keeps the identity of their heir apparent a closely guarded secret, but I also know Queen Krolia has a son because I met him years ago. You have the same name and look the same age that he would be so I don’t think this is a coincidence. I ask again as to why they sent you of all people.” 

Keith stared down at his feet. “Mom is nervous that the Galra are going to attack at any moment. We couldn’t spare more than one man and I’m both politically important and good with a sword. My mother deems my opinions and decisions as her own. If we are able to negotiate a satisfactory agreement, the court will support it without hesitation.” 

King Takashi pursed his lips. “So this is much more than preliminary negotiations? Very well, the sooner an agreement is finalized, the better. When this is over, I will send some men back with you to Marmora in order to ensure your safe return.” 

“Thank you, Your Majesty. The Kingdom of Marmora will be in your debt. I just ask that you keep who I really am a secret from the rest of your court.” 

“Your secret is safe with me, and there’s no debt necessary. I think this is an appropriate start to a wonderful alliance. And please, call me Shiro outside my throne room. I’m not entirely used to the titles yet.” Immediately, the tense nature of the conversation fell away. After the strict formalities of his home kingdom, Keith didn’t know how to react. He nodded stiffly, not wanting to dismiss the king’s request. Shiro placed his hand lightly on Keith’s arm. “I’m enjoying this chat, but I think my court is going to lose their mind if we wait any longer.” 

“Should we let Pidge know?”

Shiro shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m sure they’d prefer to continue training.” He turned to walk inside the castle and Keith followed him in. Unlike before, Shiro walked with purpose and Keith practically ran to keep up with him. They arrived at two massive double doors guarded by two knights. Upon seeing the king, the guards opened the doors and both Shiro and Keith slipped in. 

Inside was an elegant throne room. Along the walls were mono-colored tapestries of yellow, green, blue, red, and black. A purple carpet ran down the middle of the room to an empty marble throne. A number of men and women milled about some adorned in fancy regalia and others in armor. They all turned when Shiro walked in and bowed their heads. A chorus of, “Your Majesty!” rang out throughout the room. 

“No need to bow, no need to bow!” Shiro waved his arms in embarrassment as he crossed the room to the throne. Keith found the gesture endearing. “Everyone, this is Sir Keith, an ambassador from Marmora and our honored guest. Keith, this is my court.” Keith expected Shiro to climb up onto the throne, but instead he turned around and said, “Let us convene in the meeting room.” 

The meeting room, as it turned out, was a smaller room with a large round table in the middle. Keith didn’t know where he should sit, but thankfully Shiro sat down and patted the seat next to him poignantly. When everyone was properly seated, Shiro cleared his throat and said, “Thank you all for joining me here today. As we all know, tensions with the Galra Empire are high. I think it’s imperative that we forge an alliance with the Kingdom of Marmora as soon as possible.” 

As negotiations developed, Keith learned who everyone at the table was. Most of the people were from one of the four noble families of the kingdom. The current royal family was the Shiroganes, who were commonly referred to as the Black family. Next to Keith sat Matt and his father, the army commander Samuel. They were from the Holt family, commonly known as the Green family. The seat next to Samuel was empty, but it belonged to Pidge, Matt’s sibling who was not joining them for the negotiations. Next to the Pidge’s empty seat sat Hunk, but he had been missing for the first half of the meeting. At some point, the man had run in to take his seat, apologies flying off his tongue. His wife, Shay, sat in the seat next to him; together they represented the Yellow family. Next to Shay sat Lance, the loudmouthed representative of the Blue family. There had originally been a fourth noble family, the Reds, but they had effectively married into the Blue family a generation or two ago. The last two remaining people at the table, a man and a woman, sat on the other side of Shiro. They remained quiet and revealed nothing about who they were. From what Keith could tell, they weren’t members of any of the noble families and they were dressed quite differently from anyone else. 

As the last line of the treaty was being written, there was a sharp, “Excuse me!” from the other side of Shiro. The entire table turned to look at the previously silent and thus far unnamed woman. She had stood up and was staring across the table.

“Is something the matter, Allura?” said Shiro, his voice soft. 

“I would just like to ask once more if we’re sure a treaty with the Marmorans is a good idea?” She’d posed it as a question, but from the tone of her voice Keith didn’t think any part of it was.

“What do you mean?” said Shiro with a raised eyebrow.

“Marmora only gained independence from the Galra what? Ten years ago?” said the woman, staring directly at Keith. 

“Twenty-two,” mumbled Keith. Queen Krolia had ascended to the newly established throne while secretly pregnant with him, her husband a commoner from the Voltron Empire and thus ineligible to properly rule along side her. 

“My point still stands. They’re a new nation with ties to the Galra Empire, no matter how thin. How do we know they won’t surrender after the first battle?” 

Keith stood up, his blood practically boiling. He had grown up knowing of the horrors of the Galra Empire, had seen the scars on his mother’s skin that she so desperately tried to hide. “Our recent independence is all the more reason for us to want to fight. We know first hand what they’re capable of. Our people remember what it means to be ruled by the Galra and we’d do anything to avoid that happening again. How dare you accuse us of being cowards?”

Allura routed her vision at him and glared daggers. “The last time my home nation of Altea went to war with the Galra was only forty years ago and our country was decimated. We’re still rebuilding and we can’t afford to enter another war with the Galra, but we can’t afford to enter a war alongside a nation that isn’t certain of its loyalties, either.” 

“Marmora knows its loyalties, but if Altea isn’t convinced, then Altea can make its own decisions. This is a matter between Voltron and Marmora!” 

Shiro shook his head. “Not exactly. Keith, meet my fiancée, Princess Allura of Altea. She is also the current and only heir to the Altean throne. Voltron and Altea have always maintained a close alliance, but King Alfor made an offer to our late king for him to marry Allura and join the nations upon the death of himself and his wife. When the previous King of Voltron died, King Alfor gave me the same offer and I accepted.” 

Allura nodded. “Many of the Altean noble families have begun talk of exiling anyone who is even remotely Galran by blood. As much as we all hate the Galra, this is obviously unacceptable. My father wishes to ensure that none of these noble families gain control, but it is also Altean law that there cannot be an unmarried king or queen on the throne. The only way Altea can stay out of corrupt hands is for me to marry someone from another kingdom. With so few potential matches in neighboring kingdoms, my father devised the joining of our two nations. Therefore, you must understand that any decision Voltron makes affects Altea.” 

Keith felt his heart sink and he settled back down into his seat. What was he going to tell his mother when he returned home? “Then was all this work for nothing?” 

Shiro shook his head and faced Allura. “While you are my future wife and co-ruler, for now Voltron has a king and a king only. Thus, Voltron’s alliances are ultimately my decision. Unless this threatens our engagement and the thousand-year alliance between Voltron and Altea, I am going to go ahead and agree to this. We’re going to need all the help we can get if the Galra call for war.”

Allura huffed. “No, I suppose it wouldn’t do to break our nations’ friendship over something as silly as this. However, I insist that we discuss the terms of this new alliance further. I don’t believe this can be settled in an afternoon.” 

Keith nodded and, swallowing his pride, stood up to bow to Allura. “Thank you, Your Highness. I will stay for however long it is required for this alliance to please us all. It seems Marmora might soon be entering an alliance with your nation as well, and I would like it to be as rewarding for the both of us as possible.” Shiro’s expression softened and he smiled at Keith. Keith felt like he was melting under the radiance.

Allura nodded and sat back down in her seat. “I look forward to our discussions.” 

Hunk scratched his head and said, “Well, if this isn’t done, then I vote we take a recess until tomorrow. The kitchen staff has prepared a celebratory meal and our guest deserves a proper welcome.” 

“What do you say? Fancy being wined and dined?” said Shiro to Keith with a grin.

To say that Keith was exhausted was an understatement. His limbs were heavy and the verbal argument with Allura had taken the remainder of his mental energy. But the way Shiro looked at him just then made Keith want to agree to anything. “Well, I suppose it would be rude of me to decline.” 

The words had just escaped his mouth when suddenly he was being whisked away to the giant, extravagant dining room that Pidge had shown him that morning. Back then, it had been empty, but now mouth-watering dishes as far as the eye could see covered the large central table. Keith’s mother and her court had held lavish dinner parties for visiting ambassadors, but all of them paled in comparison to this. A large number of knights and minor members of the court were already milling about, waiting eagerly for their king to join them in order to start the festivities. Among them, Keith spotted Pidge chatting eagerly to two girls, one of which was holding what looked to be a shawm. 

Keith once more felt at a loss of where to go, but like before, Shiro pulled him into the seat next to him. On the other side of Shiro sat Allura and Keith was grateful that Voltron custom didn’t force the king to sit at the head of the table. Once everyone was seated, Shiro stood up and tapped his glass with a fork, a quiet immediately falling over the room. “Thank you, everyone, for joining us here tonight. I’d like to first and foremost thank Duke Hunk for organizing tonight’s festivities. Without you, this castle would never be able to run the way it does.” He held up his wine glass. “To Hunk!” 

The entire table mirrored Shiro’s movements and clanked their glasses together. “To Hunk!”

“I would also like to introduce our guest of honor for this evening, Sir Keith of Marmora, who has traveled all this way to help negotiate a treaty between our nations. We are honored and grateful to have him here with us. Here’s to the future partnership between our two nations!” 

“To Keith!” shouted the crowd and once more clanked glasses. 

“And lastly, to my fiancée, Allura, and to our future as the Altean-Voltron Empire!” 

“Here, here!” As the glasses clanked once more, Shiro awkwardly leaned down to kiss Allura on the cheek and sat back down. Allura seemed to be beaming. 

As Keith had expected, the food was masterful. Rumors of the culinary skills of Duke Hunk had spread to Marmora, but Keith could never have imagined how good everything actually tasted. Keith had never been a heavy eater, but he found himself filling and refilling his plate until his stomach ached. After his final bite, he finally settled his fork down and leaned back in his seat, deciding to focus on polishing off his wine. He was already a number of glasses in, but this seemed like an appropriate occasion to drink and be merry. 

“You seem happy,” said Shiro, disrupting Keith out of his food-induced daze. The king had disappeared a few minutes after his introductions with his wine glass in hand, but here he was back at Keith’s side. 

“My compliments to the chef. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this much in my life.” 

“That’s good to hear. I’ll definitely let Hunk know.” Shiro picked up his goblet and took a sip. “Would you like to take a walk with me?”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Your Majesty, don’t you have to stay and mingle with your court?” 

Shiro sheepishly scratched his chin. “Still on the Your Majesty stuff? I distinctly remember a kid who would scream Shiro across the grounds at the top of his lungs.”

Keith blushed. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Your Majesty. The wine must be getting to your head.” 

Shiro rolled his eyes and picked up a wine pitcher. “Allura can keep everyone entertained way better than I can. She loves doing it, too.” Shiro pointed to where Allura was standing in the corner of the room, a large crowd of people surrounding her. “You’re the only one I have to worry about being rude to, but I have a feeling that you also prefer getting drunk in the gardens. I’m not really used to being the center of attention during these kinds of events so make me feel like I’m doing something right by coming with me.” 

“Well, if the king insists, I suppose I have no choice.” Keith picked up his and Shiro’s goblet and the two of them slipped out the door before anyone could stop them. As they stepped outside, the cool night air hit Keith’s skin. Shiro led them to a small courtyard with a number of large marble benches and lush, flowering bushes. Keith placed their goblets down onto a marble bench before sitting down. Shiro refilled the goblets and Keith picked his up, bringing it to his lips as Shiro sat down as well. 

“Finally, I can think,” said Shiro with a sigh, taking his own goblet in hand. “I don’t remember these events being so taxing. I wonder if it ever gets easier.”

“Nothing is easy when you’re king, but you do it because otherwise there’s no kingdom. A nation is only as good as the labor and love of their ruler. My mother taught me that.” 

Shiro smiled. “There wasn’t anyone to teach me how to be king. I wasn’t supposed to be king.” 

“Regardless of what you were supposed to be, I know you’re going to be a good king for these people. They respect you. I remember how kind you were to me all those years ago. I’m sure they see that you in, too.”

“Carrying a kid from the river to the castle because he fell in and hurt himself doesn’t mean I should be king. I wish there had been someone else to take the throne, someone better for these people than a clueless, distant relative of the royal family. They deserve better than me.” Shiro knocked back the rest of wine in his cup and refilled. 

“The fact that you’re worried about being a good king for them already means you care about them. Caring about their people is something that many kings forget to do, but good kings always remember.” 

Shiro held the goblet in his lap, but Keith didn’t miss his shaking hands. “We’re going to war soon and I can’t pick up a sword to go with them.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Ever since... for the last three years, every time I pick up a sword, it feels like I’m back to when I nearly died.”

Keith picked up the wine pitcher and placed it down on the ground. He slid closer to Shiro until their shoulders were touching. Their eyes locked as Keith said, “You don’t have to talk about it, but I promise you whatever happened, it doesn’t make you any less of a king.”

“How could it not? I was kidnapped by the Galra and forced to fight in their stupid gladiator matches. They make their prisoners fight to the death, you know? I had to murder so many good people just to stay alive.” Keith could feel Shiro shaking and he took his hands in his. Shiro pressed his forehead to Keith’s and closed his eyes. “I only made it back because there was an attack on the compound and many of us broke out. I fought my way back to Voltron within an inch of my life, but now every time I pick up a sword, I lose it. It feels like I have to fight for my life all over again. I can’t even spar with Pidge without forgetting where I am. I used to leave events early when the crowds became too much, but now I can’t even do that most of the time and it’s agony.” 

Keith lifted up a hand to wipe away some of Shiro’s tears. “This doesn’t make you any less of a man or a king. You know what these people have to lose. You may not be able to walk with them out to battle, but they’ll listen to you and fight in your honor. I will fight in your honor.” Keith realized what he’d said and blushed. “I... I mean, if I was one of your knights, obviously.” 

Shiro laughed and wiped away the remaining tears. “I don’t know if what you’re saying is true, but it makes me feel a lot better. Where have you been for the last twelve years?” 

“In Marmora.” 

Shiro rolled his eyes. “Thanks, smartass.” He finished his second glass of wine since arriving outside and dropped the goblet onto the ground. “This may be the wine talking, but I really want to kiss you right now.” 

Keith felt his entire face heat up and he rubbed his nose. Well, he wasn’t exactly opposed, but... “What about your fiancée?”

“What about her?”

“You’re marrying her. Won’t this upset her?” Keith voice got quiet as he said, “Do you love her?” 

Shiro snorted. “I barely know her. Don’t get me wrong, Allura’s lovely, but I don’t think she would care very much if she learned that I’d kissed a random knight so long as I married her in a year’s time.”

“I’m not a random knight, though, am I?” 

“No, but she doesn’t know that, and last I heard, Queen Krolia was in amazing health. I don’t think you’re being revealed as the heir apparent any time soon.” Shiro dropped his hands onto Keith’s shoulders. “So, do you wanna kiss a king, Prince Keith of Marmora?” 

Keith did not need to be asked a third time. He surged forward and captured Shiro’s lips in his. Immediately, he was hit with the taste of the wine they had been drinking, but beneath that, there was a sense of sweetness and warmth. Shiro’s lips were softer than Keith had expected and he wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck in an effort to deepen the kiss. Keith could smell hints of cardamom and lemon past the alcohol coat they were both wearing and it was intoxicating. He was practically pulled into Shiro’s lap as Shiro slipped his tongue into Keith’s mouth. Their kiss turned heated and he felt Shiro slide his hands along his back. He pulled back to look Shiro in the eye, his breath harsh and a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. Shiro grinned back and opened his mouth to say something, but it went unheard as Keith immediately continued the kiss. 

They kept kissing for a while, pressed close under the protection of the courtyard. Keith couldn’t bear to pull away, drunk both on the wine and Shiro’s lips. They kissed until they no longer could, their lips bruised and battered, and then they pressed their foreheads together, just breathing against each other. “If kissing a king is like that, I should kiss them more often,” teased Keith. 

But Shiro didn’t laugh. Instead, he slid his thumb along Keith’s cheek, his touch soft and careful as he ran his eyes over Keith’s face. He was silent, and Keith felt himself grow increasingly uncomfortable with that silence. Unable to bear it much longer, he said, “Is something wrong?” 

“I... I’m worried that I may have made my engagement a bit more complicated than I’d expected.” 

Keith took Shiro’s face in his own and stared him in the eyes, his amused demeanor falling away. He nervously swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. “You felt it, too?” 

Shiro pushed his hand through Keith’s bangs. “I don’t know what it means, but I’ve never felt that way from kissing before. I even thought ‘what am I going to do when he leaves?’ Which is insane.”

Keith pressed a quick kiss to Shiro’s lips. “Well, I’m here until the treaty is done. Better make the most of it.” 

Shiro sighed, “No use dwelling on things we can’t help, I suppose,” and pulled Keith’s lips back to his.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this ended up being way longer than I expected. I also wrote it for the Day 14 prompt of Sheith Month, Star-crossed. Next chapter is going to be for Day 16 of Sheith Month, but considering this chapter was almost 2k longer than the first one, who knows when that will happen. Hopefully, you guys enjoy this chapter!

Keith returned that night to the guest quarters, a jump in his step. He could still feel Shiro’s lips on his, the memory a ghost on his mouth. He couldn’t imagine how he was expected to sleep, but the combination of exhaustion from the weeks of travel and the quality of the sheets was a winning combination. He was unconscious the minute his head hit the pillow. The next time he opened his eyes, a servant was waking him. The sun was shinning into the room from the blue-hued windows and he could hear the faint chirping of birds. “Pardon the intrusion, Sir Keith, but King Takashi has requested you join him for breakfast.” 

Keith smiled and sat up, the blanket falling into his lap. He felt a slightly pounding in his forehead, but chose to ignore it for as long as he could. “Thank you. I’ll come join him soon.” The servant nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him as he did so. Keith stretched his arms, feeling his joints pop, and slid out of the bed. He quickly went through his morning routine, excited at the prospect of seeing the King who had kissed his breath away the previous night.

When he stepped out of the room dressed in a simpler version of what he had arrived to the castle in, the same servant who had woken him was standing at the door. “I will show you to breakfast, Sir.” Keith followed him out to the courtyard, the very same courtyard he had gotten drunk in only the night before. A table had been placed in the middle of the yard with six chairs around it. On the table was a few plates filled with food on top of an elegant, white tablecloth. Keith was disappointed to find that he would not be having breakfast alone with Shiro, but he wouldn’t let his face reflect his feelings on the matter. 

Allura was the first to notice him and she turned to him with a smile. “It’s so nice of you to join us, Keith. Our normal breakfast is nothing like last night’s feast, but hopefully you will enjoy yourself all the same.” 

Keith nodded and bowed to her. “Thank you, Your Highness. Everything looks wonderful and I wouldn’t have expected anything less.” He turned to look at Hunk. “Thank you, Hunk. I’m sure everything will taste just as wonderful as it looks.” 

Hunk waved his hand dismissively. “I wish I could take credit, but small meals like this are usually the responsibility of my staff. I’ll make sure to pass on the compliment, though.” 

Keith sat down in the empty seat, which was thankfully next to Shiro. Other than Shiro, Allura, and Hunk, Matt and Coran were also seated at the table. He picked up the closest plate of food, which happened to be scrambled eggs, and began spooning some onto his plate. 

“Thank you for joining us, Keith. I hope you slept well,” said Shiro. Keith turned to look at him. Shiro’s expression betrayed nothing of what they had been up to the night before. It was almost as if Shiro hadn’t kissed Keith until he wasn’t sure if he was actually drunk or just enchanted. It was almost as if Shiro hadn’t walked him to his room and kissed him once more at the door. 

“I wouldn’t have missed this. Who knows when I’ll be able to eat your food again? We don’t have chefs this good back home. Thank you for allowing me to join you,” said Keith.

Shiro grinned and ducked his head. “You’re too kind.” He cleared his throat and said, “Unfortunately, further negotiations will not be resumed until the afternoon as Lance, Shay, Samuel, and Pidge all have matters to take care of this morning. It’s up to us to entertain ourselves until their return. Is there anything you would want to do during your visit?” 

Keith shrugged. “I’m sure anything you’d suggest would be wonderful. I don’t want to be too much of a bother on your schedule.” 

“No bother. I already handled all of my obligations for the morning, as there weren’t many. Until we resume the negotiations, I am free as a bird.” 

“Keith, do you play tennis?” Allura clapped her hands together as she asked, her expression sparkling. 

“Not much, I’m afraid, but I’m familiar.” 

“Dear, you should take him to the courts and play a match.” She placed her hand on Shiro’s arm and grinned. “We almost never use them. Back in Altea, Father and I would play almost every weekend.” 

“What do you say, Keith? Allura can keep score.”

Keith nodded. “I’m sure I will appreciate it after all of the traveling.” 

“Can I tag along?” asked Matt, popping a strawberry into his mouth. 

“Oh, if you come, we can play doubles: me and Shiro against you and Keith! Coran can keep score!” Allura clapped her hands in glee. “I will go change into more practical clothes and meet you at the court.” Without another word, she darted out of the courtyard. 

“I don’t suppose you would want to join us?” said Shiro, looking at Hunk.

Hunk shook his head. “I need to take care of some matters in the kitchens and Shay will be back soon so I should be here to meet her, but enjoy your game.” 

Shiro nodded and stood up. “Well, what are waiting for?” 

Keith followed Shiro, Coran, and Matt out of the courtyard; the tennis courts were located on the grounds separate from the main castle. The building was made from a similar marble as the castle, the ceiling entirely crafted with the blue glass that seemed to be everywhere. 

As they walked in, Shiro grabbed a few rackets off of a shelf and passed them to Keith and Matt. Keith gripped the racket in his hand, the feeling of the wooden handle greatly appreciated. While it was much lighter than a sword, it brought forward the feeling of competition. Sparring with his fellow knights had always centered him and he suspected tennis would have a similar feeling. Out of the corner of his eye, Keith watched as Matt pulled his green vest off, throwing it carelessly down onto the ground. Matt locked his eyes with Keith and placed his hands on his hips. “Come on, Keith, shirts versus skins! Take your top off!” 

“Ignore him, you don’t have to do that!” said Shiro, waving his hands nervously. Keith grinned mischievously. The idea of Shiro having to play him while he was half naked seemed like the way to ensure victory. He stared at Shiro as he grasped the collar of his tunic and pulled it off, leaving himself in his leather slacks. He watched as Shiro blushed and looked away to compose himself. 

“Hell yeah, Keith knows what I’m about!” Matt laughed and dropped his arm onto Keith’s shoulders. “Where’s your girl, Shirogane? I’m ready to wipe the floor with you.” 

Almost as if summoned, Allura fluttered in, having changed into a much more mobile skirt. She grabbed a racket and glided to Shiro’s side. Her eyes settled on Matt’s shirtless chest and she rolled her eyes, a soft blush appearing on her cheeks. “Is this really appropriate?” 

“Shirts versus skins are the best way to differentiate teams. Me and Keith here were more than happy to do the honors, but Princess, if you insist on switching with us, who am I to say no?” 

“You do know that in tennis, the net divides the teams for you?” said Allura. Keith noted that she was still struggling to meet Matt’s eyes. 

“That’s no fun and you know it!” Matt grabbed two balls from the same cabinet that held the rackets and handed them to Shiro. “Now, let’s play ball!” 

Keith and Matt crossed the net to take their places. Once they were all in position, the game began with a quick serve from Shiro. Keith hadn’t played the game in years, but thankfully he didn’t seem to be the only one lacking in skill. Allura was a fierce opponent, but Shiro was making a bit of an embarrassing show for himself. Frequently, Allura would stomp her foot and yell, “That was easy, Shiro! If you keep your eye on the ball, it wouldn’t be a problem! Honestly, I have no idea what you’re looking at, anyway.” 

Shiro shrugged. “I’m sorry, Dear. This game might just not be my specialty.” 

“All is forgiven, just don’t miss next time!” 

Despite Allura’s disappointment with Shiro’s playing, they won the first game with ease and the second as well. In the middle of the third game, a voice called out, “They told me I’d find you in here, but I didn’t believe it. Guess there’s a first for everything.” Keith turned to see Lance walking into the room, his expression full of mirth. 

“How was home?” said Shiro, missing a volley from Matt. 

“It was nice. My sister surprised us with news of her engagement.” 

“Which sister?” 

“Clara. He’s a medicine man from the village. My dad is a bit disgruntled with the choice, but our family is far too big for everyone to marry someone of status. I know he’ll be good for her.” 

“Congratulations are in order then!” Shiro dropped his racket and pulled Lance into a quick hug. “Would you like to play a game? You’re welcome to take my spot. I’m afraid Allura is not impressed with my skills.” 

Lance shook his head. “I actually came to get you to start the meeting. Everyone’s already back and itching to get started.” 

Shiro scratched the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to keep everyone waiting. Let us put everything away and go.” 

Without needing further instruction, they all returned their rackets and the balls back to the cabinet. Keith and Matt stuffed themselves into their shirts and they all followed Lance back up to the castle. Shiro fell back to walk alongside Keith. “I hope you enjoyed that.” 

“Yes, more than I expected actually.” Keith glanced at Allura who was laughing at something Lance said. “Your fiancée is very passionate about tennis.” 

“About most things, I would say. She’s an interesting woman, I’ll give her that.” Keith was about to respond, but they had arrived at the meeting hall and he was forced to take his seat. Everyone else was already seated and Hunk was leafing through the notes they had made during the last meeting. Shiro cleared his throat and said, “So, let us begin where we left off last time.” 

Once more, negotiation took a long time, but this time it felt much less productive. Keith wondered why Allura had spent so long being quiet during the last meeting if she had so much to say. Regardless, Keith felt like he was continually butting heads with her. What made it worse was that Lance and Matt, who had been otherwise mostly quiet during the first session, had begun to actively take her side. When Hunk finally called for a recess, Keith felt like his brain was going to pop out of his skull. 

Dinner was a much smaller affair this time around and only the members of the negotiating committee were present. Keith was thankful that he could actually breathe, but it made getting Shiro’s individual attention much harder. On top of that, Shiro was much more relaxed and it was doubtful that he would want to go get drunk in the courtyard again. As dinner was winding down, Keith figured it was about time for him to excuse himself and leave Shiro with his friends. “Alright, I’m gonna get to bed. I must be still tired from my trip. Good night, everyone.” Keith stood up and headed for the door. 

“I’ll walk with you. I need to stretch my legs, anyway. Been doing a lot of sitting lately,” said Shiro. 

Shiro coming with him was the last thing Keith had expected, but he wasn’t about to question it. “Yeah, sure. Thanks.” 

The two of them walked out of the hall and when they were out of earshot, Shiro said, “Tomorrow after the meeting, would you want to ride down to the river with me?” 

“With your fiancée and best friend, I assume? Could be fun.” 

“Nah, Allura doesn’t really care for that and Matt probably will spend time with Pidge. I doubt anyone will actually want to come with us, but there’s a waterfall at the base of the river that I think you should really see before you leave.” 

Keith grinned. “I’d love to.” 

“Great! I’ll let Hunk know before I go to bed that he should prepare the horses and maybe even something to eat? We could make a picnic out of it.” 

Keith knew he shouldn’t be as blatant with his excitement, but he practically lit up at the suggestion. “Yeah, that sounds amazing.” 

“I figured you needed a bit of a break from everyone. I love my court, but I know they can get a bit overwhelming.” Keith definitely shared the sentiment, but he wasn’t about to verbally agree with Shiro. “I hope things aren’t awkward between us.” 

Keith stopped walking. “Why would they be?” 

Shiro turned around to stare at him, and scratched the back of his head. “We got really drunk last night and I don’t regret any of it, but I want to make sure you’re okay, too. I definitely said some weird stuff.” 

Keith’s eyes widened and he blushed. He hadn’t expected this from Shiro. “I can’t say that was the first time I’ve gotten drunk and made out with someone. Granted, I’ve never done it with a king before, especially an engaged king, but there’s a first for everything. Please don’t feel guilty on my account.” 

Shiro let out a heavy breath. “Should I feel guiltier than I do? I cheated on my fiancée, but it’s an engagement of convenience. It just seemed like a logical arrangement, Allura and me. I agreed to marry her because there wasn’t anyone in my life that I could see myself marrying and... I’m not saying I want to marry you, we just met yesterday, but kissing people like that isn’t something I’ve done in a very long time. Drunk me had been so sure about everything, too...” 

Keith took Shiro’s hand in his. “I think guilt doesn’t help anyone. The bigger question is what are you going to do about it?” He started walking again. Shiro quickly fell in line with him.

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, you’ve got three choices here. You can decide your marriage to Allura is going to be honest. You can tell her and beg for her forgiveness if it makes her angry. You can also decide that your marriage is going to be faithful and happy. This means you tell her nothing, but swear that you will never do anything like that again and stay faithful to her. Or, you decide that a political marriage is only that and both of you are welcome to do whatever you want. This also means that whatever you tell her doesn’t matter because your lovers don’t concern her. In terms of what you should choose, I don’t know if I’m the best person to advise you because I’m biased. What happened between us, whatever is going on between us, I definitely like it and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can.” 

They walked in silence, their footsteps echoing through the hall. Eventually, they made it to Keith’s door and Keith grasped the knob. He stilled his nerves and he said, “Alright, this is me. Thank you for walking me here. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Can I kiss you goodnight?” 

Keith froze and looked up at Shiro. His throat felt dry as he said, “What?” 

“Can I kiss you? Is that okay? I’m sorry if I misunderstood...” 

“No, no, you didn’t misunderstand anything, I was just surprised. Yeah, of course you can kiss me.” 

Shiro took Keith’s face in his hands and pressed their mouths together. Without the overwhelming taste and scent of alcohol, Keith could taste the warmth and citrus of Shiro. He melted into Shiro’s embrace, wanting them to be as close as possible. To Keith’s disappointment, the kiss ended as soon as it began. Keith gripped the doorknob and whispered, “Do you want to come in?” 

At those words, Shiro released Keith and stepped back. Keith felt like he had been burned. The expression on his face must have been telling because Shiro quickly said, “I’m sorry, I can’t. Everyone will wonder where I am if I’m gone to long, but we’ll have tomorrow afternoon.” He pressed another kiss to Keith’s mouth. “Have a good night, Keith.” 

“Good night, Shiro.” With that, Shiro walked away and Keith entered the room by himself. 

The following morning was a blur as all Keith could think about was the trip he was taking with Shiro. He was awoken once more by a servant and was invited to breakfast with Shiro, Allura, Coran, Hunk, and Matt. Lance and Pidge joined them as well and the courtyard table was a lot more crowded than it had been the previous day. Keith spent a large part of breakfast fighting with Lance over the toast. After breakfast, they immediately returned to the meeting room and went through the motions of yet another fruitless meeting. Keith was to spend another two nights in the Castle of Lions.

The second the meeting wrapped up, Shiro locked eyes with Keith and he signaled for Keith to follow him. The two of them walked out to the stables with Hunk. When they arrived, Keith found that Red had been saddled with a saddle that he did not recognize as his own. Another horse stood next to he, similarly saddled. Keith approached Red and pressed his face to hers. “Hey, Red, are they taking good care of you?” 

“She definitely has a bit of a temper, but I’m used to that,” said Hunk, patting the other horse. “Black’s all ready to go, too.” 

“Black?” said Keith.

“That’s my horse’s name. Guess we both like to name our horses after colors,” said Shiro, taking the reigns from Hunk. They led the horses out of the stables and mounted. Keith watched Hunk pass Shiro a bag, which Shiro slung it onto his back. “Thanks for this, Hunk. I’ll come find you when we return.” 

“Have fun, you two,” called Hunk as they rode away from the castle. Keith felt the familiar bouncing of Red under him as they followed a path that cut through the forest. The soft afternoon sun tickled Keith’s cheeks through the foliage. Shiro had forgone his usual royal entire for a simple white tunic and Keith was in a similar outfit. He didn’t even want to think about how sweaty royal regalia would be in this weather. 

“Once I was old enough to ride, I’d come to the forest with Black and just explore for hours. Sometimes, I’d hunt, but that wasn’t too often. One day, I decided to travel along the river and came to a beautiful pool with a waterfall. From then on, it became where I went to escape from court life. Since I wasn’t a prince or anything, no one really cared what I did with my spare time.”

“I’m honored that you’d take me to your secret spot. What did I do to deserve such a high honor?” 

Shiro chuckled. “If I said I’d never brought anyone else here, I’d be lying.”

“So I’m just another one of your pretty maidens that you hope to woo with some nature so she’ll crawl into bed with you?” 

“I was under the impression from your invitation last night that, if it was my goal, no further wooing was necessary.” 

“That was then. This is now. Just because you’re a king doesn’t mean my offer is always on the table.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind, pretty maiden.” 

In the distance, Keith began to hear the soft trickle of a river and it wasn’t long before they came to a riverbank. Shiro began to travel upstream, keeping a fair distance between Black and the river. Keith had stuck close to Shiro’s side up until that point, but he was forced to fall behind as they continued along the narrow bend. Another ten minutes went by and suddenly, Keith heard the roaring of falling water. “We’re almost there!” yelled Shiro, turning his head to call back. As the river took one more turn, a giant pool opened up, water cascading down a cliff and into it. The waterfall was massive, one of the tallest Keith had ever seen. He pulled Red into a halt and just stared up at it in wonder. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined something like this in your kingdom.” 

“Voltron is full of surprises.” Shiro dismounted from Black and tied her to a tree, Keith following his lead. Shiro pulled his backpack off and held it out to Keith. “Are you hungry?”

Keith eyed the bag for a moment and then leaned down to untie his boots. “I want to go in the water.” He rolled up his pants and approached the bank. He gingerly placed his toe into the water; it was cold but not unbearable. Slowly, he waddled out into the water and then turned back around to see Shiro fighting with his boots. “Hurry up, the water’s great!”

“You don’t need to tell me twice!” Shiro hopped up and down as he struggled with his second boot. When it was off, he threw it onto the ground and ran in after Keith. “You’re too eager for your own good, you know that?”

Keith closed the distance between them and pulled Shiro in for a quick kiss. “Can you blame me for getting excited over the idea of kissing you under a waterfall? It’s very romantic, you know.” 

Shiro returned the kiss. “Romantic, huh? Aren’t you a bit sappy today?” 

“Today? End the idea that kissing a gorgeous king in a river wasn’t a secret fantasy of mine since I was sixteen.” 

“Why am I not surprised?” Before Keith could get another word in, Shiro pressed their lips together and immediately opened his mouth to let Keith slip his tongue inside. Keith hummed in happiness and instantly deepened the kiss, desperate to taste as much of Shiro as he could. They kissed until Keith began to shiver, although he wasn’t sure if it was because of the spray from the waterfall or arousal. Shiro pulled back and said, “We should probably get out of the water before we catch a cold.” 

Keith pouted. “The water’s not so bad. Don’t stop on my account. Unless...” Keith sized him up. “Are you cold?”

Shiro shook his head a little too rapidly for Keith to believe him. “Of course not! I just want to make sure you’re okay. I’m used to this.” 

“So if you got drenched, you would still feel okay?” 

“Of course, but that would be a dumb idea.” Shiro had barely gotten the words out when Keith leaned down and threw a wave of water at Shiro, soaking him from head to toe. Shiro sputtered and wiped water from his face. “Hey! That was uncalled for!” 

Before Keith could respond, Shiro returned another splash over water at Keith. Keith yelped and held up his hands to stop the onslaught, but it was useless. The water felt icy against his skin and he screamed, “Okay, now I’m cold!” Shiro looked at him smugly, his arms crossed, and Keith wanted to kiss the smirk off of his face. Instead, he opted to drag himself out of the pool of water. He dropped himself down on the ground and pulled his tunic over his head, wringing it out. He watched Shiro blush as he tentatively sat down next to him. “It’s to help it dry. You should do it, too.” 

Shiro’s face grew bright red. “I’m going to keep my clothes on, but feel free to take off whatever you need to.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to catch a cold. If it’ll make things easier, I won’t look. A bit of a shame, really, because I bet you’re gorgeous.” The wet leather of his pants felt cold and uncomfortable, but he felt weird about stripping anymore than he already had with Shiro fully dressed.

Shiro shook his head. “I’d just prefer to stay dressed. I’ve fallen into the river before. This won’t be a problem.” He reached into the backpack and pulled out some strips of dried meat, passing a few to Keith. Keith took the meat gratefully and bit into it. They slowly made their way through the lunch Hunk had packed them, the food just as delicious as the fully realized meals. 

Fully satiated, Keith laid back against the grass to stare up at the sky. “Hey, Shiro, did you ever look up at the clouds and try to make sense of the shapes as a kid?” 

Shiro joined Keith on the ground. “Of course! I would even do it with some of the other squires during my training. We would try to find the cloud that would look the most like a cock.” 

Keith snorted. “Well, I can’t say I bonded with the Marmora knights that way. I think if I’d tried to, they would have looked at me like I was crazy.” He scanned the sky and then pointed straight up. “That was one is definitely phallic.” 

“I’m not sure I follow. Which one are you talking about? Because I’m just looking at a lump.”

“Do you see the one that kind of looks like a bunny?” 

“I don’t... Oh! Yeah, I do!”

“It’s the cloud next to the bunny’s face. It’s pointing away from the bunny.” 

“Damn, yeah, that’s a cock if I’ve ever seen one.” 

“Does this mean I win?” 

“Not even close. I gotta find my own cock.”

“Have you tried looking down your pants?” 

Shiro coughed, a sharp choking sound coming from his throat. “Is that really something appropriate for a prince to be saying?” 

“If a king can talk about cock-shaped clouds, then a prince is welcome to reference that king’s cock in a passive comment.” Keith rolled over and sat up to straddle Shiro’s hips. “Now, I know a better use of your mouth than talking.” He pressed his mouth to Shiro’s and all talk of clouds went out the window. 

The sun was beginning to set when Keith finally rolled off of Shiro, his lips bruised and sore. Keith pulled his tunic on and stood up, helping Shiro to his feet. Limbs lethargic, they walked back over to their horses and mounted them, riding back to the castle. When they emerged out of the woods, the sun had mostly set. Unfamiliar with the terrain, Keith was forced to directly follow behind Shiro in order to navigate properly. 

They arrived at the stables and Hunk was nowhere to be found. “I guess it would have been a tall order to expect him to wait until dark,” said Shiro as he slid off of Black. “I worked for some time in the stables as a squire. I can let them in.” Keith climbed down from Red and unsaddled her. When he was done, he passed the reigns to Shiro. When the horses were properly situated, they walked into the castle. 

“Who would have thought that a simple ride would make me so tired?” said Keith, stretching his arms. 

“I hope it was worth it.” 

“It definitely was.” Keith knocked his shoulder into Shiro’s as they walked through the halls. “But I’m definitely ready for bed, that’s for sure.” They made it to the door of Keith’s room. Keith leaned up and pressed a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. “Good night, Shiro.”

“Good night, Keith.” 

When Keith woke up the following morning, he expected much of the same and at first, it was. Breakfast was the same as it had been the previous day with far too many people gathered around a small table in the courtyard. After breakfast, the moved into the meeting room to continue negotiations. Keith expected for the arguments to drag on all day once more, but he was surprised to find that the first draft of the treaty was finished an hour in. Half an hour in, they were finalizing the finishing touches. Keith wasn’t sure what had happened or if the Voltronians had been replaced with doppelgangers in the night, but he wasn’t about to complain. Even Allura seemed to be content. 

“So this treaty is great and all, but do we have any actual plans for what to do about the Galra’s behavior now?” said Lance.

“Is there anything for us to plan? They technically haven’t done anything yet, just mild aggression,” said Hunk.

“Yeah, but are we just gonna sit like ducks until they do something big?” said Lance.

“We don’t want to go to war, Lance. If the Galra calm down, if all of this passes after a few months, then we’ll have nothing to worry about,” said Allura.

“If they calm down, Princess. If being the important word. I don’t believe for a second that they will. They’re getting ready for war, but we should hit them now when they don’t expect it,” said Lance.

Shiro shook his head. “We can’t attack them without reason.” 

“Without reason? They’re provoking us! They’re taunting us at our borders!” At this point, Lance was standing, his hands flat on the table. 

“They’re not technically hurting us. I know it’s annoying, but what can we do?” said Shiro.

“What if we bulk up our armies? Make it seem like we are going to war without actually attacking?” said Pidge. “That way, they might get intimidated and back off. War avoided.” 

“Or they get even angrier and double their efforts,” said Allura with a huff.

“And how does that change the outcome we’re currently expecting? Where I’m sitting, it’s not a question of if we’re going to war with the Galra, but when,” said Keith. “We need to prepare for war one way or another. That’s what Marmora’s been doing since the first provocation.” 

“Keith’s right. I don’t want to go to war, none of us do, but I don’t think we can stop it just by sitting quiet. That hasn’t worked yet,” said Shiro. “We need to start getting our armies together. If the Galra get scared, that’s great. If they don’t and war happens anyway, at least we’re ready to far it.” 

“Right, but my point is that maybe we should be the ones that attack first?” said Lance.

“For now, I don’t think we’re at the point where we can do that,” said Pidge. 

“Well, let’s bulk up our armies and, if the Galra haven’t attacked by the time we’re ready, we strike!” Lance slammed his hand on the table dramatically.

“But what if we had manage to scare off the Galra by that point? Then we’re starting a war for no reason,” said Allura.

“No, attacking first isn’t practical. We’re talking about war because we have to. We have nothing to gain from attacking first,” said Keith.

“I think attacking first is too risky and not something all three of our nations are willing to do. We need to act as a united front. There’s nothing worse than one of us attacking and the other two not agreeing with the reasons behind that decision. No, I think our first attack needs to be reactionary and we all need to respond together. Otherwise, we have no hope in defeating the Galra,” said Shiro. “If anyone disagrees with me, speak up. Otherwise, I think our treaty has been established.” Keith held his breath, but thankfully no one tried to fight Shiro. “So I think that concludes our negotiations. Keith will travel home tomorrow with a treaty in his hands. If all goes well, it will be a long time before our nations see each other again. Thank you once again for traveling here, Keith. All of us from Voltron are excited about our alliance.” 

“Queen Krolia will be happy to hear the good news,” said Keith. 

“Okay, so I’ll go check on dinner. It should be ready,” said Hunk, the first to stand up. 

“We’ll meet you in the dining room,” said Shiro. Hunk ran out of the room and everyone else exited at a much slower pace. Keith slipped into the dining room and took what had come to be his designated seat next to Shiro. A few minutes later, dinner was brought out to the table and Keith was more than ready to indulge. 

Dinner wasn’t a particularly loud affair since everyone was so tired after days of negotiating. Keith said very little during the dinner. All he could think about was the many days of travel ahead. He would have two knights with him, but it would still be a long journey. He had arrived at the Castle of Lions thinking that he’d want to go home as soon as possible, but his visit had ended up being far more enjoyable than he had predicted. He’d be a liar if he didn’t admit it was because of a certain handsome king, but none of it had been what he had expected. 

After dinner, Shiro, Matt, and Allura went to sit out in the courtyard and Keith followed. Allura didn’t stay for long. She pressed a kiss to Shiro’s cheek and said, “I’m afraid I have to turn in. I am far too tired. Good night, everyone. Keith, have a good trip home.” Her shoulders seemed to relax as she spoke to Keith, but Keith decided he was imagining it. He waved as she disappeared into the castle. 

“You’re a lucky man, Shiro. Allura is incredible. If she was my fiancée, I would die a happy man,” said Matt.

Shiro chuckled. “I suppose it could be worse. I wouldn’t have agreed to marry her if I didn’t think she would make a good Queen.” 

“Yes, yes, she will be a good Queen, but the more important thing is that she’s stunning. I bet you sneak into her bed every night.” 

Keith coughed awkwardly. Shiro blushed. “You’re supposed to wait until your wedding night for that. Besides, I don’t think this is an appropriate conversation to have in front of our guest.” 

“Yeah, but I mean look at her. Keith, you gotta agree. Or maybe you get all the girls back home and Allura pales in comparison.” 

Keith rolled his eyes and looked at Shiro. “She’s very pretty, but not really my type. I like them a bit more muscular.” 

“Whatever. Shiro, you don’t fool me, and if you’re not spending your nights with her, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. Not to be rude to my future queen, but she’s practically gagging for it.” Keith’s face twisted into a disgusted expression and he stared out across the courtyard. 

“Okay, now I’m uncomfortable. Can you be a bit more respectful of my fiancée, please?” said Shiro. 

“Sorry, sorry. Just trying to make the point that you have nothing to wait for.” Matt stood up and stretched. “If it makes things easier, I’ll excuse myself to bed. That way, you can pretend you’re actually being sneaky. Keith, I suggest you follow my example and let this man get laid.” 

“Good night, Matt. It’s been a pleasure,” said Keith, mock saluting. 

“Good night, Matt, although you can be rest assured that I will not be in Allura’s bed tonight,” said Shiro.

“Yeah, yeah, heard it all before. Good night to you both.” With that, Matt disappeared into the castle. 

When Matt was out of earshot, Keith leaned in towards Shiro and said, “He’s a bit of an idiot, isn’t he?” 

Shiro laughed. “Matt’s never been that perceptive, but to be fair, I’ve tried to play the part of the respectful, doting fiancée for a while now and up until very recently, I can say the act was pretty true to reality. If anyone suspects anything about us, they likely think they’re imagining it and I’m just also being an attentive host. People around here don’t like to believe in what they can’t easily explain.” 

“Well, if you want to return to being a faithful fiancée a day earlier than you have to, you know where Allura is, but I have a sneaking suspicion you’ll be in someone else’s bed tonight.” He stood up and slid between Shiro’s knees. “So what do you say, King Takashi?” 

“Well, you are leaving tomorrow. I suppose I shouldn’t waste what little time is left.” Keith held out his hand and Shiro took it, standing up. The two of them practically ran into the castle, tripping over their own feet as they went. Having memorized the route over the last few days, Keith led Shiro to his guest bedroom and pulled him inside. The minute the door was closed, Keith pulled Shiro on top of him on the bed. Shiro pressed his mouth to Keith’s and they tangled their tongues together, desperate for each other’s touch. Keith slid his hands up Shiro’s back and along his sides. He wanted to touch every part of Shiro. He wanted to make Shiro feel so good he screamed. 

“There’s so much I wanna do with you right now. I’m not sure one night is enough, but I suppose we’ll see, won’t we?” said Keith against Shiro’s lips. Shiro laughed and continued to kiss Keith. Keith felt the hem of Shiro’s shirt and moved to slip his fingers under it. Shiro straddled Keith’s hips and grabbed both his arms, trapping them above Keith’s head. “A bit unexpected, but I like it,” purred Keith and promptly resumed kissing the daylights out of Shiro. 

The kissing went all for a while and eventually, Keith grew tired. “Not that this isn’t super great, but I would really appreciate getting my hands back so I can touch you. It’s driving me a little crazy.” Shiro let go of Keith’s wrists and Keith reached for him, but Shiro rolled off of Keith and stood up from the bed. He looked at Keith with wide eyes and scratched the back of his neck. “Hey, are you okay?” asked Keith, sitting up and reaching for Shiro’s hand. Shiro let him take it and he tangled their fingers together. 

“I... I don’t know how to explain it, and I don’t want you to be mad or anything.” 

“Mad?” Keith’s eyes widened. “Oh, fuck, you’re a virgin. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be pushy and we don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with-“

Shiro shook his head. “No, I’m not a virgin.” 

“Then... what’s wrong?”

Shiro sat down on the bed next to Keith and took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to think I led you on or anything. I really like you, Keith, but I haven’t been intimate with anyone for four years. I’m not even sure if I’m in a good place for it. I wish we had all the time in the world so I can get comfortable with the idea, but right now I feel like jumping out of my skin. I’ve been avoiding this for the last few days, but it’s your last night here and I decided to be selfish and take as much time as I could get.” 

Keith placed his hand on Shiro’s shoulders. “Don’t ever think I’d be mad about something that. I’ll do whatever you want. We can just sit here and talk or kiss. Whatever you want.” 

“I want to remember what it feels like to fall asleep with someone in my arms.” 

Keith grinned. “I can do that.” He pulled back the covers and stripped down to his underclothes, crawling into the bed. He patted the spot next to him. “Come join me.” Shiro slid under the covers next to Keith. “Do you want to takes off your clothes? I promise I won’t do anything weird.” 

Shiro shook his head. “I’m more comfortable like this.” 

“Whatever makes you happy.” Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro and dropped a quick kiss to his lips. The two of them spent the rest of the night talking about everything and anything until they slipped into unconsciousness wrapped around each other. Keith didn’t remember falling asleep. As he woke up pressed to Shiro’s back, the birds chirped loudly outside. He kissed the nape of Shiro’s neck and Shiro stirred. “Good morning.”

Shiro turned around and wrapped his arms around Keith. “It’s not allowed to be morning. Don’t leave me.” 

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to, but I have to.” He pressed a kiss to Shiro’s temple. 

“Okay, but maybe I’ll get to see you soon?” 

“More than anything, I’d love to see you soon, but we both know that the longer we don’t, the better. The next time I’m going to see you is when we go to war.”

Shiro sighed. “I guess it’s the sacrifice we have to make for the good of our kingdoms.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for Sheith Month 2018, Day 16: Ignite, and took FOREVER. In fact, it was supposed to be twice as long, but I cut it into 2 chapters. I'm still not entirely sure I'm happy with this chapter, but I didn't want to continue working on it.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at sharkrinsoup.tumblr.com!

Not even two months passed before the first battle against the Galra erupted. Galran soldiers broke across the southern border of the Kingdom of Voltron and murdered a band of border guards before riding to the closest village. Upon arriving, they killed dozens of villagers and took even more as prisoners. The Voltron army rode out and subdued them, but it meant that war was officially upon them.

This was conveyed in a letter that was dropped into Keith’s hands as he was training with his fellow soldiers. He took the letter to Queen Krolia. He knelt at her feet as she read it and said, “Give me command of your army. While you run this kingdom, I will make you proud.”

“Make sure you bring me back Zarkon’s head on a spike.” 

The next day, Keith left his home. He rode out with General Kolivan at his side, two thousand Marmoran knights behind them. No longer having to travel in secret, the journey took less than a week. Other than some minor skirmishes with some rogue Galrans, they faced no problem in their travels. On the evening of their sixth day since leaving Marmora, Keith spotted smoke wafting up from the trees. Keith dug his heels into Red and within a few minutes, they arrived at a massive encampment flying the colors of the Voltron and Altean Kingdoms. 

“Hey, it’s Keith and the Marmorans!” yelled a familiar voice. Keith looked to his right to see Pidge standing with their hands on their hips, surveying him. “Took you long enough. We were starting to wonder if our allies to the west had abandoned us.”

Keith grinned and climbed down from Red. He extended his hand to Pidge and they took it, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

“It’s good to see you, though I suppose I’d rather it be under different circumstances.” 

Kolivan dismounted from his own horse and extended his own hand to Pidge. “Hello, I am General Kolivan of the Marmoran army.”

“Pleasure to meet you. Lieutenant Pidge of the Green family at your service.” 

“Where’s your king? Or whoever is directly acting on his behalf?” 

Pidge pointed towards the center of camp. “King Takashi and Princess Allura should be in the big tent in the middle. You might be able to find others by there, like my dad, Commander Samuel.” 

“Thanks, Pidge. You and some of the other knights mind trying to help our men get settled while we go talk to Shiro and Allura?” said Keith. 

Pidge saluted. “I’d be happy to.” With that, they ran off.

“Shiro?” said Kolivan, eyebrow raised.

Keith blushed. “King Takashi insists on being called that.” Kolivan didn’t seem to believe him, but they left their horses in the makeshift stables and heading into the middle of the camp. As they passed, many of the knights seemed to stop what they were doing and stare. Keith couldn’t blame them. Their army uniforms, while much more subdued and practical, shared many color similarities to the Galran uniforms. 

Keith had expected to spend some time looking around, but upon entering the heart of the camp, he found himself in front of a giant tent that displayed the five colors of Voltron. Right outside it, Keith recognized the familiar shape of Lance dozing in a chair, his face hidden under the book “The Art of War.”

“Hey, Lance, where’s Shiro?” said Keith, crossing his arms and standing in front of him.

Lance startled into a sitting position, the book flopping down onto the ground from his face. “I was reading, I was definitely- Wait, what? Keith! Don’t scare a guy like that!” He adjusted his sitting position into something more dignified and called back, “Hey Shiro, Allura, the Marmorans are here!” 

A second later, a very excited Coran stuck his head out of the main flap of the tent. “Sir Keith! And you must be the famous General Kolivan I’ve heard so much about! Please, come in, come in!” He pulled open the tent flap and waved them inside.

Stepping in, Keith almost forgot they were in a tent. There was so much furniture and people within the space. Many of them Keith vaguely recognized in passing from his previous trip to Voltron. He spotted Matt and Hunk hunched over a piece of parchment at the large table in the middle of the tent, talking animatedly. Allura was chatting with Shay and a few other knights. 

Just then, Keith’s eyes locked onto to Shiro. He was hunched over a smaller table, frantically writing something, but he’d looked up at Keith and the quill slipped out of his hand. Keith felt rooted to his spot, unsure of how to approach the king, but Shiro rushed out to greet him. A giant smile was plastered on his face and he looked like he was going to hug Keith, but restrained himself at the last moment. Instead he extended his hand and Keith took it. “Keith, it’s so great to see you again!” He turned to face Kolivan and extended his hand to him as well. “Hello, I am King Takashi of Voltron. Thank you for coming to our aid.” 

Kolivan took Shiro’s hand. “General Kolivan of Marmora. It’s a pleasure. Please brief us on what has been going on.” 

“Like we said in our initial report, the Galra attacked one of border villages and destroyed it. Aside from some ruins and a few survivors we’re still trying to relocate, there’s nothing left. We took care of the soldiers that attacked that village and since then there has only been minor raids on our borders, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the Galra are biding their time before their next attack. We were waiting for you all to arrive before we made our next move.” 

“It’s weird that the Galra haven’t been staging a major attack, just sending small parties. Why are they throwing away their men like that?” said Keith.

“It might not matter. The Galra army is bigger than we can imagine. These men are likely worth the sacrifice for whatever they’re planning,” said Kolivan.

“Come, let Samuel show you the map.” Shiro waved them over to the giant battle map in the middle of the room where Commander Samuel was muttering to himself. Most of the map’s markers were in the south at the border that Voltron shared with the Galra Empire. The location of the camp had been marked off as well as a number of smaller allied factions that were spread out along the border. Battle locations had been marked in red. Keith noticed that they had all been clustered close to the village that had been first attacked. 

Commander Samuel turned to look at Keith and smiled at him sadly. “Hello, Keith. I wish I could say it was good to see you, but our circumstances make that difficult.” He extended his hand out to Kolivan. “Hello, I am Commander Samuel of the Green family. If you have any insight on how to best fight the Galra, please let me know, especially if you have any updates from back home.”

Keith shook his head. “We haven’t heard from Queen Krolia since we began traveling, I’m afraid. I expect we’ll get a report within the week.” 

“In any case, it’s likely not worth fretting over for now. Your men must be tired after the long journey. It’s best that you rest and we reconvene in the morning. I can show you where you can sleep,” said Shiro. 

Keith nodded. He had long learned how to push through his exhaustion, but even he couldn’t deny that sleeping was definitely in order. “I asked Pidge to help with getting our army settled.” 

Shiro nodded. “Very well. See you both first thing in the morning.” 

Reluctantly, Keith left the tent along with Kolivan. They walked to the eastern side of camp where they saw muted tones of purple and black appearing. Keith’s tent had already been set up and he slipped inside to begin organizing his things. It was by no means as large as the Voltron royal tent or even as large as Kolivan’s, but it suited Keith just fine. He had packed light and needed little space. 

He was arranging his swords when he heard, “Hey, Keith, can I come in?” He turned to see Shiro sticking his head into the tent with a smile. 

“To what do I owe this honor?” 

Shiro closed the distance between them within seconds and pulled Keith into a hug. Keith pressed his face into Shiro’s shoulder and was enveloped in the scent of leather and musk. “You smell like you rolled around in a swamp,” mumbled Shiro into his shoulder. 

Keith laughed and tried to pull away. “Hey, I’m not making you smell me!”

Shiro tightened his grip. “I didn’t say I wanted to let you go.” Keith laughed and continued hugging Shiro for a few more moments. Eventually, Shiro released Keith and just stared at him. “I’ll be honest, I was foolishly hoping for a better reunion.” 

“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty, for smelling bad.” 

“Not that. This. War,” said Shiro, pointing around them. 

Keith’s cheerful expression dropped and he sighed. “Blame the Galra and then kill them as fast as possible so you can go home and marry your fiancée.” 

“Keith...” 

“Sorry, that sounded angrier than I meant it. It was supposed to be encouraging.” 

“You’re definitely invited, you know. To the wedding.” 

“I’d be both severely angry and relieved if I wasn’t.” 

“That’s probably fair.” Shiro looked around the tent. “Do you need to be here for much longer? I came to invite you to tea in my tent. I figured it was a good way to catch up.” 

“Sure, sounds great. I’m mostly done here, anyway.” Keith followed Shiro back to the large Voltron tent. The large table in the middle was still covered in papers, but a smaller table with four chairs around it had been cleared. Shiro motioned for Keith to sit down and Keith did so. He watched as Shiro boiled water over the hearth.

The entrance to the tent was pulled open a moment later and Allura stepped inside. “Oh, Keith, I didn’t think I would find you here.” 

“Shiro invited me to have tea,” said Keith. He looked at Shiro for instruction. “Would you like to join us?” 

Allura also looked at Shiro, her gaze thoughtful. “Only if my fiancé would deem my presence pleasing.” 

“I always find your presence pleasing,” said Shiro, not looking up from the tea he was brewing. 

Allura smiled and slid into the seat next to Keith. She had forgone her skirts for sleek, white armor, and was much more imposing than when Keith had seen her last. The Altean armor was more form fitting than anything the Voltronians or the Marmorans wore. “Yes, all the rumors of our culture are true. Everything we have is made with magic bestowed to us by our Gods, but it still struggles to compete with the demonic power source that the Galra use,” said Allura. 

Keith studied his nails. “My mother said that even most Galrans don’t know where their power comes from. When she lived in the Galra Empire, she certainly didn’t know. Some rumors said that Emperor Zarkon made a pact with some sort of demon or evil spirit. Others said he learned how to harness the magical energy that flows through every living thing. Whatever it is, only the royal family has access to it.” 

“It’s a shame. Altean magic is available for every Altean. We’re even trying to introduce it to Voltron, although there’s been mixed success. It seems you must have Altean blood to be able to use it.” Shiro had finished brewing the tea and was passing out the cups. Allura placed her hand on his as he passed her one. “Our children will be able to learn it, though. Won’t that be lovely?” 

Keith nearly choked, suddenly feeling very much like he shouldn’t be there. Shiro glanced at him sympathetically and it was the only thing keeping Keith in his seat. “Yes, I’m sure it’ll be great, but I doubt Keith wants to hear about our future children.” 

Allura gave Keith a sympathetic smile. “My apologies.” She took the tea from Shiro’s hand and said, “Thank you, Dear.” Shiro settled into the seat across from Allura and began stirring his tea. “So, Keith, tell me about your mother,” she said, taking a sip.

Keith stared at her, eyebrow raised. “Not much to say. She died when I was ten,” he lied. 

“What about your father?” 

“Commoner from Voltron, actually. He died at the same time my mother did.” This time, he didn’t lie. His father had died on a diplomatic mission to Voltron on his mother’s behalf. She still blamed herself for his death. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. So you’re an orphan? If you don’t mind me asking, how did you become such an important member of Marmoran society?” 

Keith could feel Shiro’s eyes boring holes in him. “I don’t mind. My mother was a friend of Queen Krolia’s. It was as a favor to my mother that she welcomed me easily into her court. It was also a pleasant surprise when she discovered I was pretty good with a sword.” Lies, but it was closer to the lies he was used to spreading to those in the Marmora court that didn’t know his identity. The only difference was that he told the court his mother had died in childbirth. 

“You are an interesting person, Sir Keith of Marmora, that’s for certain. I want to get to know the person I’d be working so closely with for the foreseeable future, but for now I will leave you to catch up with Shiro.” She stood up and pressed a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. “Good night, Shiro, Keith.” With that, she slipped out of the tent, her tea still half full.

“Does she know?” whispered Keith, pointing at the entrance of the tent as soon as she was out of earshot. 

Shiro shook his head. “I didn’t say anything to her.” Keith chewed on his fingernail as he stared at the tent’s entrance. A soft silence settled between them as Keith contemplated the conversation he’d just had. Eventually, Shiro broke the silence with, “You don’t have to answer her probing questions if you don’t want to, you know.” 

Keith smiled. “It’s fine, they were mostly lies anyway, and they’ll make her feel like she can trust me. If she needs that to be comfortable with my presence in this camp, then so be it.” He traced the rip of his cup with his finger. “She’s already talking about kids, huh? Guess you took Matt’s advice after all.” 

Shiro blushed. “It’s not like that. That was the first time she’s mentioned children. If I’m gonna be honest, that’s a taller order than she realizes.”

“I know you probably still feel weird, but just turn off the lights and think of Voltron. It’ll be over before you know it. Think of it as kingly duties.” 

“I understand how it works. I just... what if I can’t...” Shiro nervously looked at Keith before slowly lifting up his index finger out of his clenched fist. Keith just stared at Shiro before beginning to giggle. “Oh, come on, don’t laugh! I’ve never been with a woman before.” 

“Never?” 

Shiro shook his head. “Have you?”

“Once to see if I could. I couldn’t.” 

Shiro made a gesture, but Keith didn’t catch it because a piercing scream broke from outside. Keith and Shiro were on their feet within seconds. They ran out of the tent, grabbing their swords as they did. They looked at where the scream had come from and saw Pidge sprinting towards them. Their face was covered in blood and more was dripped from a wound on their upper arm. “Pidge, what’s going on?” yelled Shiro. 

“Galra! Thousands of them attacking! We need to rally everyone!” 

“I got it!” Shiro sprinted back into the tent and emerged a second later with a giant horn. He pressed it to his mouth and blew into it, a loud but deep sound emanating from it. A moment later, similar sounds began to resonate throughout the camp. Shiro dropped the horn from his lips and ran back to Pidge’s side. “Thank you for coming to find me. Stay back so you don’t hurt yourself anymore. You’ve done enough.” 

Pidge seemed like they were considering arguing, but they dropped down to the ground and made a pained sound. Shiro began walking in the direction that Pidge had come from. Keith ran after him and grabbed his shoulder. “Where are you going?” 

“To fight.” He didn’t pause. 

Keith wanted to protest, but the determination in Shiro’s eyes told him there was no argument to be made. “I’m coming with you.” Shiro didn’t say anything in return, just nodded.

On the edge of camp, the battle was waging. Their soldiers were killing upwards of three Galra for every man of their own that went down, but the onslaught seemed to be never ending. Keith pulled his sword out of his scabbard and dived at a Galra locked in battle with Matt, slicing him through the chest. The Galra soldier crumbled to the ground, dead. “Thanks, Keith. I owe you,” said Matt. Keith jumped back to Shiro’s side to cover his back. 

As Keith cut down Galra after Galra, he felt his muscles burning. The enemy forces didn’t seem to be backing down, but with every soldier he fought, Keith felt his strength dwindling. No matter how hopeless it might have been, how unprepared they had been, he wasn’t about to back down. He couldn’t afford to back down. 

At some point, Shiro disappeared from his side. Keith noticed as he was blocking a deadly attack and stumbled backwards, just narrowly missing another attack aimed at his side. Keith felt like his head was spinning as his instincts told him to try and find Shiro. He twisted his blade and pulled the enemy’s weapon from his hands. The soldier scrambled for his sword, but Keith brought his down on the man’s arm. As the solider collapsed in pain, Keith fell back from the fighting. All around him, he could hear the violent popping of canons and the screams of battle. He ducked behind a tent and scanned the area to see if he could spot Shiro.

Across the camp, he noticed a shape huddled behind some boxes. Crouching, Keith moved through the battlefield towards it. A Galra soldier aiming a sharp kick at Keith, but he rolled out of the way. Looking to make sure no Galra were following him, Keith dived behind the boxes and came face to face with the top of Shiro’s head. The man was curled up behind the box, his head in his knees and his knuckles white. His sword was lying on the ground, abandoned. 

Keith reached out to Shiro and Shiro shot up, viscerally recoiling. “Get your hands off me!” His gaze looked far off, as if he was looking at something that wasn’t there. 

“Hey, hey, it’s me. It’s Keith. What happened?” Keith voice was low and soft. He dropped his sword and held out his hands. 

Shiro shielded his face and curled away from Keith. His whole body was shaking. “Please stop! Please don’t! Please don’t hurt me!” 

Keith got as close as he could to Shiro without touching him. “Do you know where you are?” 

“G-galra...”

“I won’t let them hurt you.”

“H-hurts...” 

“Can you tell me where you’re hurt?”

Shiro was quiet for a moment and Keith wondered if Shiro was even lucid enough to hear him. Eventually, he uncurled and looked Keith in the eyes. His eyes were red-rimmed and tear tracks were trailing down his cheeks. He pulled up his sleeve and there was a harsh, red gash along his arm. “One second, I’m fighting and then the next I’m back in the Galra prison camp. It’s not even that bad of a bad wound. I’ve gotten worse.” 

“It’s okay. You’re okay. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.” Keith felt a tug on his sleeve and he wrapped his arms around Shiro. He shifted so that his back was to the crates and he could keep watch over Shiro’s shoulder. Keith tangled his hand into Shiro’s hair and began whispering calming words into his ear. With his other hand, he picked up his sword. He wasn’t about to let anyone take them by surprise. 

Thankfully, they were left undisturbed until Matt popped up from behind the crates. He was covered from head to toe in blood, although it was far too much for him to be walking if it was his own. He staring at them in confusion, but Keith dropped his sword and waved him over. Matt dropped down to press a hand to Shiro’s back. “Hey, big guy, battle’s over. Are you alright?” 

Shiro lifted he head from Keith’s shoulder and awkwardly shuffled off of him, slowly getting to his feet. Keith stood up as well, pins and needles in his legs. Shiro scratched the back of his head and looked at Ketih. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to break down on you like that.”

Keith shook his head. “I don’t mind. I’m just glad I was able to find you.” He looked at Matt and said, “What’s going on?” 

“We got the Galra to back off, but I’m sure they’ll return. Let’s get you both back to camp and stitched up, then we’ll brief.”

“You, as well. You’re covered in blood,” said Keith.

Matt looked down and shook his arm in an attempt to get some of it off, but it had already started to dry. “Huh, I guess I am.” Before Keith could marvel at how well Matt was handling it, Matt turned around and vomited into the grass. Keith and Shiro looked away in an attempt to preserve his dignity. 

The three of them walked back to the center of camp in complete silence. Through the entire walk, Shiro pressed close to Keith, their shoulders touching. Keith spotted Allura before he spotted the tent. She ran to them and reached for Matt first before recoiling and hugging Shiro. Keith saw him stiffen before returning the hug. “When no one could find you, I was worried the Galra had gotten you.” 

“I was with Keith. He made sure I was safe,” said Shiro, glancing at Keith. Keith smiled in response. 

“Thank you once again, Keith, for all that you have done for us. You are truly a wonderful ally in this trying time.” She looked the three of them over and said, “You should all probably get medical attention.” 

“A shower, maybe, but none of this blood is mine,” said Matt. “Where’s Pidge? Or my Dad?” 

“They’re in the tent. Hunk patched Pidge up and they’re both fine. Shiro, I’ll take you to the medical tent. Keith, do you need to come as well?”

As Matt disappeared into the multi-colored tent, Shiro said, “I’m fine. I just need some bandages for my arm. Have someone patch me up in there.” 

“Shiro, please don’t overextend yourself,” said Allura. 

“I refuse to miss the debriefing.” 

“Allura, I would rather that Shiro sought out proper medical attention, but he’s right. The wound isn’t serious enough to not have him here,” said Keith. 

Allura chewed on her lip, but nodded. “Alright, everyone is waiting inside.” She tapped a squire on the shoulder and said, “Go to the medical tent and have them send someone to King Takashi’s tent.” The squire nodded and ran off without a word as the rest of them entered the tent. 

Everyone was sitting in various parts of the tent, some nursing wounds. The few conversations occurring were with heads bowed at a whispered tone. As Shiro sat down in a plush chair, everyone turned to stare at him. “Is anyone going to tell me what happened? Why were we attacked completely unprepared in the middle of the night?”

“If I may, we figured we had until the Marmorans arrived to prepare. No one could have predicted this attack,” said Coran. 

“We did manage to chase them back to the border,” said Matt. “We weren’t completely unprepared.”

“Yes, we did effectively fight back, but why did they catch us with our pants down in the first place? Are we fighting a war or are we just sitting with our thumbs up our asses? I expected to find a fully functional army, not whatever this lazy mess is. You can’t even protect your king. Today, that was my job,” said Keith.

Most of the crowd looked at each other awkwardly. Allura walked right up to Keith’s face. “Who are you to march in here and tell us how to run our armies? We were unprepared this time, but we’ll learn from this mistake and come back stronger.”

“No, Keith is right.” All eyes went lightning-fast to Shiro. “This was an embarrassment. If we want to win this war, the Galra should never be able to come into our camp like that.” 

“What if we brought the fighting to them?” said Lance, standing up suddenly. 

“Absolutely not! That’s far too dangerous. All we want is for the Galra to back down. We have the advantage of knowing this area,” said Allura. 

“I think Lance’s idea has merit. It’s not a decision we should make now, but definitely one we should consider,” said Shiro. He then slumped in his chair. “Now, I’m sure we’re all tired. Everyone, get some rest. We’re meeting first thing in the morning and that’s only a few hours from now. Matt and Keith, please stay behind.” 

Slowly, everyone filed out of the tent until it was just Shiro, Allura, Matt, and Keith. Another person walked into the tent wearing medical robes. Shiro presented his arm to him and he began cleaning the wound. “Allura, you’re welcome to go to sleep, too. I’ll see you in the morning,” said Shiro. 

“You’re hurt. It’s my duty as your future wife to stay by your side while you recover.” 

Shiro sighed. “I suppose I won’t force you to leave.” He turned to Matt and Keith. “After what happened, I’m not sure I’m fit to fight. I may return to the Castle of Lions and leave the command of the Voltron army to Samuel.” 

Keith felt panic rise up in his throat. How was he going to navigate the Voltron army without Shiro? Thankfully, Matt seemed to share his displeasure. “Shiro, you know this army is nothing without your leadership. You’ve always been a leader for the knights and they look up to you, regardless of whether or not you’re king. Even if you can’t fight, you can’t return to the castle. We’re nothing without you.” 

Keith dropped down to his knees next to Shiro’s chair, bowing his head. He heard Shiro gasp, but he couldn’t see his face from his position. He refused to look up at Shiro for fear that he wouldn’t be able to say his next words if he did. “So long as you’re a part of this fight, I swear that I will protect you. Entrust yourself to me and I will make sure nothing happens to you.” 

Shiro coughed. “Okay, okay, I’m not going anywhere. Just don’t stay stuff like that, okay?” Keith grinned and looked up at Shiro. His face was bright red and he couldn’t meet Keith’s eyes. 

Matt clapped Keith on the back. “Okay, since no one is going anywhere, I’m going to take a shower. Keith, you walking out?” 

Keith nodded and moved to follow Matt out. When he reached the exit, he turned to look back at Shiro one last time. “I meant what I said. For as long as we are still in this war, my life is for you to use as you see fit.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better late than never, I suppose. I wrote this chapter for Day 21 of Sheith Month for the prompt Coping. I might write the next chapter using another Sheith Month prompt, but I'm already so behind on the prompts that I'm considering not doing that for the sake of time. I'm hoping to finish the Sheith prompts over the next few days so very likely all of the chapters from here on out will not be for Sheith Month. But anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter!
> 
> Warning for some sexual content in this chapter!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at sharkrinsoup.tumblr.com!

No formal announcement had been made, but the day after the Galra attacked their camp, all of the knights were talking about how King Takashi was no longer going to lead them into battle. He would stay back at the camp and focus on crafting war strategies. Their tone in regards to their king was no longer one of awe; it was of pity. And it made Keith sick to his stomach. After Keith made his promise to Shiro, he had expected to see a lot more of the King, but it quickly became apparent that Allura wasn’t about to leave his side. Whenever Keith would spot Shiro, she was almost always right behind him. She was never hostile, but Keith got the sense that she felt threatened. Instead of letting the emotional turmoil get the best of him, he began to avoid them as much as he could. 

It was only a few days later that Keith began to go on scouting missions into Galran territory. With the help of Lance, Keith gathered together a scouting party of ten other men and they left for their first mission. He would like to say that he did it because it was necessary. He would like to say it had nothing to do with Allura practically taping herself to Shiro’s side. Unfortunately, Lance could have easily led the scouting party himself and watching Shiro dot on Allura was about as appealing as a knife in his throat. So he left for the first mission and then picked up as many of them as he could after that. 

During the missions, they pulled on unassuming garb and sneaked across the border under the cover of darkness. The most dangerous encounter they faced was a small party of Galran soldiers that they easily moved past. As they traveled through enemy territory, Keith recorded where the Galra camps were. The plan was to use the information to predict where the soldiers were crossing into Voltron territory and meet them at the crossroads. Keith was able to discern the location of four small Galran camps during the first two missions. 

The day after they had returned from the third mission, Keith cornered Lance as he came out of his tent. “We need to make plans for the next mission.” 

Lance cocked his eyebrow at Keith. “Slow your roll there, buddy. We just got back.” 

“No reason to drag our feet. We still have about half of the border to explore.” 

“Our team is tired. Give them a few days before they have to think about leaving again.” 

“Then we’ll take other men.”

“I’m not ready to go back out there.”

“Then I’ll go without you.”

Lance’s gaze hardened. “Scouting missions are my expertise. Neither Shiro nor Allura are gonna want you to leave without me.” 

“I don’t need their permission. I have my own army.” 

Lance rolled his eyes. “I was under the impression that you weren’t exactly interested in destroying our alliance that fast. You don’t want to see Allura when she’s angry.” He dropped his volume and said, “What’s actually making you want to get out of here?” 

Keith huffed. “I just feel antsy. I should be doing everything that I can to stop the Galra. What’s the point of just sitting here?” 

“The point is to rest so you can do the mission right.” Lance dropped his hand onto Keith’s shoulder and Keith resisted the urge to shake him off. “The next mission will happen soon. Just don’t rush things. I promise we’ll leave before you know it. For now, do something to take your mind off of things. Spend time with your men, I don’t know.” With that, Lance waved Keith off and walked away. Keith glared at Lance’s back and headed back to his tent.

The next morning, Shiro invited Keith to breakfast. Keith felt excitement thrill through his chest, but upon arrival, he found that everyone who was important in the camp was present. He took a seat at the opposite end of the table next to Pidge and tried not to rip his skin off as he watched Allura press a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. He didn’t want to hate her. He didn’t want to be mad at Shiro. He knew what their engagement meant. Even if Shiro had feelings for him, he would never pick Keith over his fiancée. Keith knew – had known – but it still hurt like an icepick to his chest. 

Keith locked eyes with Lance and realized his staring hadn’t gone unnoticed. Ashamed, he looked down at his plate and finished his meal in silence. When he was done, he stood up with a quick bow and ducked out of the tent as fast as his legs could carry him. The second he was outside he felt a sharp tug on his arm. He turned around to see Lance staring at him intently. “So is it Shiro or Allura?”

Keith blushed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I got approval for us to go on a small supply run to the closest village. It’s not the scouting mission that you wanted, but it’ll get you out of this camp.” 

Keith’s mouth felt dry. “Yeah, great. When do we leave?” 

“Whenever we want to. It’s not particularly time sensitive and the whole thing shouldn’t take more than a few hours.” 

“Give me one hour and I’ll be ready.” Before Lance could stop him, Keith bolted across the camp to his tent. He ducked his head in and began unloading everything in his travel bag. Since it was a supply run and such a short one, Keith prioritized having as much carrying space for what was to be brought back over anything else. He strapped his sword hilt to his belt and walked out of the tent to find Kolivan. The General was giving instructions to some young knights and Keith waited until he finished before approaching. Kolivan looked up at him as he neared and said, “Keith, I haven’t seen you in a while. How did the last scouting mission go?” 

Keith shrugged. “It went fine. I’m a bit anxious to get back out there so I’m doing a quick supply run with Lance. We should be back by nightfall.” 

Kolivan studied him for a moment. “You’re too important for missions like that.” 

“I know, but I’m feeling a bit antsy. I feel like I should be out there, not stuck at camp.” 

Kolivan sighed. “I’m not going to convince you to stay since it will only be a few hours, but there are other ways to relieve tension during war. Putting yourself in unnecessary danger, no matter how minor, is something you should be avoiding.” 

“I’ll be back before you even start to miss me.” 

Kolivan patted Keith on the shoulder and walked away, muttering to himself. Keith shook his head and headed to Hunk’s tent. Inside, a number of people were struggling with various pots and pans filled with hot food. Keith eyed a girl who wasn’t carrying anything particularly dangerous and pulled her over. “Hey, can you tell me where Hunk is?” She pointed towards a flap at the back of the tent. Keith slipped through it ands found Hunk talking animatedly to Lance. 

“So this is everything that you should bring back. Make sure you take one of the carts.”

“What, you think your good buddy Lance can’t strong arm everything?”

“Lance...”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Of course I’ll take the cart.” 

“You know, you don’t have-“ 

Keith cleared his throat and both men turned to look at him. 

“Oh, Keith! I didn’t see you there. Anything I can help you with?” said Hunk with a smile. 

“I’m going on the supply run with Lance. I was just checking to see what you might need, but it seems Lance already has that handled. I was also wondering if I could take some food with me?” 

“Yeah, no problem. Here, let me get you some rations.” Hunk ducked down to pull out two small bags from a crate and handed one to each of them. “It’s just some dried meat, but it should last you the trip. Sorry you’ll be missing dinner. Obviously it’s not as great as back at the castle, but I know my staff have been working hard.” 

“I’ll be dreaming of it as we walk and if you thought to save me some leftovers for when we get back, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” said Lance, staring at his fingernails with a grin.

“I can definitely sneak something for you before all of the food goes out to the camp.” 

“Awesome! You’re the best!” Lance high-fived Hunk and the two of them grinned at each other. Then, Lance turned to Keith and said, “Ready to go?” 

Keith nodded and the two of them waved good-bye to Hunk. As they headed out of the camp, Lance stopped to grab the cart as he’d promised. The two of them flipped up their hoods to obscure as much of their insignias as they could and headed along a path towards the nearest still standing village. They were quiet as they walked, the sounds of the forest the only soundtrack to their journey, until Lance said, “Did you bail like this back in Marmora every time you were upset about something?” 

Keith glared at Lance. “I’m not upset about anything and I would go hunting if I needed to clear my head. There weren’t as many things that were pressing back then.” 

Lance shrugged. “Whatever you say, Keith. I’m not going to say anything to anyone, you know.”

“Yeah, because there’s nothing to tell.” 

Lance rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to help. I was the one who got you out of the camp when you asked. Besides, I get it. I know what it’s like to have feelings for someone when you can’t do anything about it.” 

Keith felt himself soften. “I feel like a child. I knew, and yet it still hurts,” he said, emotionally uncoiling. 

“We can’t help our feelings sometimes. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But also, don’t be an idiot. Take it from me. I was definitely an idiot about it.” They fell once more into silence, but Keith felt emotionally lighter. He hadn’t told anyone about his feelings for Shiro and Lance still didn’t exactly know, but talking about it felt nice. At least Lance was sympathetic about his behavior. 

They made it to the village in record time. The mayor came out to meet them along with some of the local farmers. They all worked to load the supplies onto the cart. By the time they were done, it was practically overflowing. The two of them would have to move slowly, but it was still possible to transport it. They thanked the villagers and began their journey back to the camp. By the time they made it to the main road, the sun was beginning to set below the horizon. 

Keith heard a branch crack and spun around. Something slammed into his side and he yelped, stumbling against the cart. A dagger was lodged into his cloak, pinning it against the wood. He yanked it out and yelled, “Lance, get down!” A figure bolted out from the foliage with another knife in their hand. They lunged at Keith and Keith stopped them with the dagger in his hand. 

“Now, we don’t have to make this messy. I can take the cart and in exchange, you can keep your life,” hissed the attacker, voice low and gravely. 

“I don’t think so, asshole!” Lance threw himself at the attacker’s back and Keith kicked at the attacker’s shins. Lance grabbed the knife from Keith’s hand and Keith pulled out his sword, holding the tip in front of the attacker’s masked face. They slammed Lance back into the cart and Lance dropped from his back like a sack of rocks. Lance kicked out his foot and the attacker crashing down on top of him. The two grappled for a moment until Keith grabbed for the person’s mask. He had intended to pull their head back, but the mask popped off of their face, revealing a shocked young man with orange, wispy hair. The man flailed in shock and swung down at Lance’s head. 

Lance let out a violent scream and Keith pulled the man off of him, pressing his sword to the man’s neck. “If you don’t get out of here, I will slit your throat,” growled Keith. 

The man’s eyes grew wide and he whimpered. “Okay, okay! I’m leaving! I thought you guys were just some dumb farm boys.” Keith dropped the man and he crawled straight into the trees. With their attacker gone, Keith dropped to Lance’s side. Lance was sitting up with a hand pressed over his eye, blood dripping down his face. 

“Fuck, I think he got me good. I have some bandages on me.” 

Keith ruffled through Lance’s belt pouches and found the bandages as expected. He gingerly pulled Lance’s hand away from his face. His eye was a bloodied mess and Keith had no idea if it was salvageable. They needed to get back to camp immediately. He washed it off with his water skin as best as he could and wrapped the bandage around it. “I’m gonna push the cart, okay? Just focus on walking.”

“Fuck, he got me good, didn’t he?” 

“Nothing the medics can’t fix, I’m sure.” 

With Keith’s help, Lance stood up. He was still grimacing in pain, but at least he’d be able to walk. All they had to do was make it back and not run into any more danger. Keith gripped the handles of the cart as tight as he could as they moved. Lance smiled and said, “People are going to ask how I lost my eye and I’m gonna have to tell them it was a supply run. God, how uncool.” 

“Your eye is going to be fine and you could always say it was a battle when you get home. No one will know.” 

“It’s not like there’s anyone waiting for my charmingly good looks, anyway. What’s an eye?” 

“Don’t say that. Once this war is over, you can tell the person you love your feelings.” 

Lance chuckled. “That’s not possible with or without the eye. It’s a bit... ah... unlawful.”

Keith looked at Lance just then. “What do you mean?”

“They’re married.”

“Oh.”

They continued the journey in silence, the weight of Lance’s words hanging over them. Within another hour of travel, they could see the flicker of the camp’s lights in the distance. It was already dark and as they walked into camp, a number of people began to wake. Keith could hear different voices shouting, “Who’s there?”

“It’s Sir Keith and Duke Lance. Can someone fetch a medic?” yelled Keith. He dropped the cart once they were securely within the premises of the camp and began leading Lance to the medical tent. He didn’t even stop to announce their prescience, barreling in without warning. It was mostly empty save for a boy asleep in the middle of the room. “Hey, wake up!” The boy sat up with a jolt. Before he could say anything, Keith barked, “Go wake up anyone and everyone who can help Duke Lance immediately!” The boy nodded and ran out of the tent as fast as possible. 

While they waited, Keith led Lance over to a chair and he sat down. Keith leaned against a table and tapped his foot, half in annoyance and half in worry. They didn’t have to wait long because a number of medical workers filed into the tent and swarmed Lance. Keith stepped out of the tent, deciding to leave the medics to their work. It was better for him to retire for the night and check in with Lance in the morning. 

The last thing Keith expected to find was Shiro sitting in the grass next to his tent. Keith slowly approached Shiro, unsure of what to make of the man that was staring up at the stars, and said, “Hey, what are you doing up?”

Shiro started and his eyes fell on Keith. He grinned and said, “Oh, Keith! I couldn’t sleep and went for a walk through the camp. I assumed you’d be back by now, but your tent was empty.” 

Keith shook his head. “Lance and I ran into some trouble. He’s actually at the medical tent right now. Some bandit got his eye.” 

Shiro’s face scrunched up in worry. “Oh no! Should I go visit him?”

“Maybe in the morning? The tent is a bit packed right now. Even I thought it would be best to leave, but he’s alive.” Shiro visibly relaxed and patted the ground next to him. Keith knew he shouldn’t. He knew he should just go to bed and not torture himself with Shiro’s kind eyes and kinder words. But if there was one thing that Keith was, it was weak. He settled into the grass next to Shiro and looked at him. “What’s keeping you up?”

Shiro looked down at his hands and sighed. “Nothing out of the normal. Just the usual memories of being back in that Galra prison camp.” 

“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Not talk about it? Tell me about the supply run.”

“It was going well. We got to the village, loaded up the cart, and were heading back. A man attacked us and tried to get the cart. We chased the guy off, but not before he got Lance in the eye.” 

“That’s awful. Fuck, I should have never let you two go off on your own like that.”

“You couldn’t have known. There shouldn’t even have been any fighting. That’s a well traveled road.” 

“I know, but I can’t help but blame myself. I’m in charge, you know?” 

“Lance and I chose to go on this mission. We didn’t have to. We’re to blame for our own mistakes.” 

“You’re been going on a lot of missions lately. It was expected that you would be tired. I should have thought about that and talked you out of it.” Shiro sighed again. “I’ve missed you a lot during these missions, you know? But I thought it would be selfish to say anything.” 

“Missed me? You have a loving, dotting fiancée who showers you with affection at every moment. I figured you’d finally embraced your future marriage to its full extent.” 

Shiro shook his head. “She’s worried, understandably, both as my fiancée and as the leader of her army. I think she feels guilty for not being more attentive. I wish I could tell her she didn’t have to be at my side all the time, but I think a lot of it is for appearances. I kept wanting to talk to you, but you kept disappearing on missions.”

Keith let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I’m sorry. I suppose I haven’t exactly been fair to you. I can’t help questioning things between us, though.” 

“Aren’t you the one who said that I could use your life as I see fit?” teased Shiro. Keith blushed and looked away from Shiro. “As a soon to be married man, I make no promises, but I’m yours for as long as I can afford to be.” Keith felt Shiro cup his cheek and he leaned into the touch. Shiro pressed a quick kiss to his lips, pulling back as fast as he could. The both of them nervously looked around, but there didn’t seem to be anyone in sight. 

Keith stood up and held out his hand. “My tent is right there. Would you like to join me?”

Shiro nodded. “Maybe you can help with my insomnia?” He took Keith’s hand and stood up. Keith led him inside, and Shiro sat down on Keith’s bed as Keith pulled off his armor. As soon as Keith had stripped down to his underclothes, Shiro reached for him and pulled him under the covers. Keith hungrily pulled Shiro’s mouth to his. Even though exhaustion settled over his body like a cage, kissing Shiro felt like being able to eat after starving. There was nothing elegant about their movements. Keith dragged his fingers along Shiro’s body, wanting nothing more than to claim him as his own. He lifted the hem of Shiro’s shirt, but Shiro grabbed his hand and rolled him onto his back. 

Shiro broke the kiss and straddled Keith. Keith gasped and bucked against Shiro. It had really been too long since he’d had someone in his bed and everything in his body was screaming for him to flip Shiro over and fuck him into the mattress. “Hey, not that I don’t love this, but I want to respect the fact that you’re not ready for sex and right now you’re giving me ideas.” 

Shiro ground down on Keith and Keith gasped. “Then just relax and let me make you feel good.” Keith’s eyes widened and he reached for Shiro’s thighs, but Shiro slapped his hands away. “Come on, now. No touching.” Keith let out a soft moan as Shiro slid down his body, pressing soft kisses into his skin. Keith shamelessly spread his legs, his cock straining against his underwear. Shiro hooked his fingers into the fabric and slid it down. 

Keith watched Shiro wrap his fingers around his length and give an experimental tug. Shiro’s hand was so much bigger than his own and Keith couldn’t help but moan. It was intoxicating. “Is this okay?” asked Shiro. 

“More than okay. Please touch me.” 

“I’m going to use my mouth, okay?” 

“Fuck!”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes! Yes, of course it’s okay!” Keith watched with baited breath as Shiro did as he promised. Keith’s length was enveloped with warmth and he dropped his head back against the pillow, letting the pleasure wash over him. Shiro slid his hand along Keith’s chest as he bobbed his head up and down on his shaft. It felt clumsy at points, likely because Shiro was out of practice, but he definitely knew what he was doing. Keith tangled his hand in Shiro’s hair, pulling his bangs back from his forehead, and this time Shiro didn’t slap him away. Keith knew he had broken Shiro’s rule, but if he didn’t touch him in some way, he was certain he was going to go insane. 

Before he knew it, he was feeling tightness building behind his belly button. “Shiro, Shiro, I’m so close! Fuck!” Shiro squeezed Keith’s hip, but made no move to pull back. Keith’s orgasm crashed through him; he moaned and arched off of the bed. He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming, but the pleasure coursed through him mercilessly. Hazily, he came down from the high. He looked down at Shiro who was smiling up at him, not a drop of come in sight. 

“Did... did you..?” Keith couldn’t even find the strength to finish the sentence. 

Shiro rolled over to lie down next to Keith and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You’re cute, you know that?” 

Keith blushed. “Okay, okay, just let me return the favor. Then we can talk about who is cute because I’m sure your orgasm is way cuter.” He slid his hand along Shiro’s hip, but he was stopped. 

“Not that I’m not flattered, but you look like you’re ready to pass out. Besides, I’m good. I’m happy. You don’t have to worry about me.” 

Keith opened his mouth to argue, but Shiro was right. He was beyond exhausted. He wasn’t even sure he had the strength to drag his hand down Shiro’s pants, never mind finish him off. He yawned. “Okay, but I definitely owe you one. Don’t let me not repay you. You deserve all the orgasms in the world.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Keith rolled over and pressed his back to Shiro. Shiro wrapped his hands around Keith and pulled him to his chest. Before Keith passed out, he mumbled something along the lines of, “Love you!” He was far too tired to feel embarrassed about it. If Shiro had responded, he was asleep before he heard it. 

He awoke the next morning to a squire in his tent and an empty bed. “King Takashi requests that you come to his tent for a meeting in twenty minutes.” 

Keith rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Had last night been a dream? He could feel the soft warmth of Shiro still present on the sheets, but no man to accompany them. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” With that, the squire left and Keith was left to his own thoughts. 

Keith got ready as fast as he could, not allowing himself to dwell on what Shiro disappearing without a good-bye could mean. He sprinted across the camp to Shiro’s tent and the stationed guard waved him in. Inside, everyone was already gathered and Keith dropped himself into the last remaining empty seat. “Good morning, everyone!” he said in a flustered panic. Next to him sat Lance, a much better crafted bandage wrapped around his head. 

“Good morning, Keith. Thank you for joining us,” said Shiro, standing up to address the group. “I have gathered you all here because I have made a decision. The information that Keith and Lance have been gathering with their scouting team has proved invaluable. I have come to realize that we are nothing but sitting ducks here. If we want to truly protect our nations, then staying here is the worst thing that we can do. Not only do we need to stage a direct attack, but also, we need to bring this war to the Galra’s doorstep. The last thing the Galra expect is an offensive attack. We need them to know whom they’re fighting against and that we are not an enemy to be taken lightly.”

“Shiro, we talked about this!” yelled Allura, sitting up in her seat and giving him a harsh glare.

“We did, but I’ve decided to do what’s best for my nation. Either come with me or don’t. That’s a decision you can make for your nation, but it’s obvious to me that as long as we stay on our territory, we will never win this war.” 

Allura’s lip curled but she sighed. “If you truly think this will keep our people safe, then the Altean army will follow you, but you better know what you’re doing.” 

Shiro nodded and looked straight at Keith. “I do. Will the Marmoran army come with us as well?”

Keith nodded. “It would be an honor to follow you across the border.” 

Shiro pointed at a spot deep in Galran territory on the table map. “Daibazaal is the capital of the Galra Empire. While there is a massive army stationed at the border, its capital is vulnerable. It’s not without its defenses, but if we attack in the dead of night, then we should be able to take the city within a matter of days.” He looked out at the people in the room. “How soon do you think it would take to prepare this attack?” 

“A couple of days, a week maximum. Especially if more scouting missions are conducted,” said Hunk. 

“Excellent. Keith, I put you in charge of the scouting missions until Lance has finished his recovery. We leave for Daibazaal in a week.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy season 7, fandom! Here's chapter 5 to celebrate! It was written for Day 28 of Sheith Month for the prompt Attack. Better late than never, I suppose. There's not a whole lot of Sheith interaction this chapter, but hopefully you all still enjoy it. The plot is beginning to move forward and this fic isn't done even though Sheith Month is! From here on out, chapters won't be written for Sheith Month prompts, but that doesn't mean I don't have a plan because I do! The rest of the plot has been mapped out and I'm excited for you guys to see it unfold.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at sharkrinsoup.tumblr.com!

They broke down the camp slowly over the course of a week. It was grueling, backbreaking work and every night, Keith crashed into bed barely able to move. During the day, Shiro called the leaders of the armies into his tent to go over the battle plans. As the week went on, the exhaustion became more and more prevalent on his face. The entire army was on edge; the tension could be practically cut with a knife. The eventual plan was to divide. Not only would the army be split by nation, but the armies would also be further divided into smaller parties. About a third of the army would stay back at their original camp to deter suspicion. The rest would move in small units across the border in order to stay inconspicuous. They were to reconvene near Diabazaal and stage an attack during the night.

On the day they decided to leave for Daibazaal, Keith finished packing up the rest of his things and went to meet his traveling party by the stables. It was a group of twenty knights from the Marmora army that Keith often trained with. As he approached the group, he waved. “Everyone ready to go?”

Regris, one of knights standing in the front of the group, gave Keith a nod. “We’re good to go if you’re good to go.” 

“Alright, everyone, let’s head out.” They dispersed towards their already saddled horses. Keith pulled himself onto Red and directed her out of the stables. He looked to see if the rest of his party were following and was pleased to see that they were. They moved out of the camp under the cover of the afternoon sun. Their garb had been fashioned in the style of Galran traders and they hoped to able to easily pass unnoticed through the border. 

Keith led them through his usual crossing point. It involved wading through a moving river, but that was hardly a problem for the knights; Marmora was known for its harsh terrain. Keith had been pleased to see that the Galra had not interfered with the passage since the last time he’d last come to the border. With minor difficulty, the group was able to cross the river and continue on towards the capital city. Just as night was falling, they made it to the meeting point. They had run into three Galra soldiers along the way, but the group had made quick work of them. Now all they needed to do was sit and wait for the rest of the army to arrive. 

The city of Daibazaal sat on the edge of the same river that they had crossed at the border, which was much wider near the capital. Since it was only a few miles away from the ocean, the city had historically found itself the center of trade on the continent. Keith had heard stories of the massive trade ships parked in the harbor, but from where he was standing on the opposing bank, he could only see a handful of small carrier vessels. In fact, everything seemed far too quiet for a trading port and even more so for a capital city. 

As Keith was tying Red to a tree, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see one of the older knights, Ulaz, standing over him. “I hoped that the newer generation would never have to see this city. Yet, here we are,” said Ulaz, his tone melancholy. 

“By morning, the city will fall and you never have to see it again,” said Keith, finishing the knot and letting Red’s rope fall from his hand. 

Ulaz smiled, but there was no mirth in his eyes. “If only it was that simple. It is a city harder to take than you think. In all of its history, we Marmorans were the first to successfully invade it and we decided leaving the city was better than dealing with the fall out.” 

“Are you saying that this attack is foolish?” Keith couldn’t help the anger that was bubbling up inside him.

Ulaz shook his head. “No, King Takashi was correct in his decision to bright the fighting here, but I suspect tonight won’t go as planned. Be careful, Keith.” With that, he walked away and Keith was left to his own thoughts.

Keith sat down on the root of a tree and began cleaning his sword. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but eventually a small figure popped out of the foliage. As soon as Keith saw it, he pointed his sword in its direction. The figure dropped its hood and frantically waved its arms. “It’s me! Pidge! Sword down! I’m here with a message.” 

Keith sheathed his sword and sighed. “Sorry, Pidge. You scared me. What’s up?”

“Most of the army has made it across the border. In about half an hour, Princess Allura is going to blow her war horn and we’re going to charge the city. Send someone to pass it along.” With that, Pidge ducked back into the bushes. 

Keith walked over to Regris and said, “Hey, I need you to pass on a message to the nearby group.” He repeated the message that Pidge had given him and then Regris ran off. He came back not long after. 

It wasn’t long before a blaring horn rang out through the trees. Keith unsheathed his sword and sprinted towards the shore. All around him, he could hear the stomping footsteps of an army barreling towards an undefended city in the dark. As he hit the riverbank, he headed in the direction of one of the bridges that spanned the river. Suddenly, a loud, “Keith!” rang out through the night and he spun around. Out on the river, Keith spotted Lance hanging off of a barge and waving. “Keith, get on!” Keith ran for the ship and pulled himself up along the rope hanging off of the side, his party climbing on behind him. When he reached the top, Lance held out his hand and pulled him up the rest of the way. There were at least another ten men on the boat. “A bunch of us decided it would be easier to cross the river if we kidnapped some boats! Hang on!” Keith gripped the side of the ship and Lance pulled on the wheel. The ship turned from the shore and Lance steered it towards the other side. 

Just as Keith was starting to feel that Ulaz’s words were unfounded, an arrow whizzed past his head and lodged into the floorboards. Keith ducked down and peered across at the riverbank. A giant cluster of Galran archers were standing on the shore, arrows pointed towards the ship. “Everyone, get down!” shouted Keith and he heard everyone around him hit the deck. Keith watched as Regris leaned against the side of the ship and pulled out three arrows. He fired them at the archers with swift precision, catching two between the forehead and one in the shoulder. Before the arrows had even made their mark, Regris was reaching for three more. When they were close enough to shore, Lance’s men grabbed for some rope ladders sitting in a pile. Everyone clamored for the water, desperate to get out of the way of the arrows. 

As they descended from the ship, the first group of soldiers made it across the bridge and lunged at the archers. The archers scattered out of their formation, some determined to continue firing at the boats while others attempted to fire their arrows at the incoming army. Keith threw his sword at a distracted archer, the blade lodging in his side. The archer crumpled and Keith pulled his sword out just in time to dodge an arrow. He turned and swung his sword at the other archer.

They made short work of the archers and followed the rest of the army up to the gates of the city. At the gate, they were met with a hoard of guards and even more archers up on the parapets. Keith fought ruthlessly, pushing his body to its limits. He could feel the splattering of blood on his armor, but it did nothing to deter him. As they fought through the guards, some of the Alteans began to craft magic ladders up the sides of the gates. Keith bumped into one Altean woman maintaining the structure of a ladder and she yelled, “Go up!” Keith nodded and grasped the rungs of the ladder, pulling himself up along the side of the city walls. He held his shield above his head and felt the ricocheting of arrows against it. He made it to the top and rolled himself onto the parapet. 

At the top of the wall, many of his allies were already fighting. He looked around for anyone to engage in battle and spotted a man in slightly fancier regalia walking along an empty portion of the wall. Keith ducked down and ran across the wall to charge at him. The man fluidly brought up his sword and blocked Keith’s attack. Keith stumbled back, but swung again. He was not prepared for the man chuckling and saying, “I thought that the Marmoran fighting style had been the stuff of legends, but here you are.” 

“The stuff of legends? What, did you think we forgot to fight when we gained our independence?” said Keith, blocking another potentially lethal attack. 

“Independence? Is that what you’re calling it?” Keith’s eyes grew wide and the momentary pause was enough for the man to knock him backwards. He fell onto his back, his helmet dropping off his head and rolling off to the side. Keith brought up his sword to block the man’s downward swing. “You have all of the Galra ability, yet none of our quintessence. You cannot win. Surrender now and I’ll let you beg for mercy.” 

“I don’t beg,” hissed Keith, kicking out his leg towards the man’s ankle. The man dropped onto the ground and yelped in shock. Keith scrambled onto his feet as the man attempted to right his helmet. Keith pointed his sword at him and said, “Now it’s your turn to ask for mercy.” 

A pounding of feet appeared behind Keith. The man smirked and said, “I think I have stayed here too long. Tell that Altean Princess that Prince Lotor sends his regards.” With that, the man knocked Keith’s sword out of the way and rolled himself off of the wall. Keith gasped and ran to the side, only to see the man running into the city. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Hunk standing over him. “Hey, Keith, you alright?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah. I just- These Galra aren’t what I expected.” 

Hunk nodded in return. “Hopefully, we didn’t bite off more than we can chew.” 

The battle took most of the night. The Galra army refused to relent. Keith watched as his men were taken out one by one. As Regris was cut down and tossed over the side of the wall, Keith forced himself to keep fighting. The sun began to appear on the horizon and there still seemed to be no end. Keith’s entire being ached and burned, but he forced himself to keep going. 

Just as Keith was certain he was about to give out, someone shouted, “Pull back!” and he ran for the front gate. The soldier he was fighting was hot on his tail, but as his feet hit the bridge, the soldier halted and Keith was able to cross without being pursued. He made it into the trees and turned around to wait for direction. 

A second later, Matt appeared at his side. “There’s a massive clearing about a mile away where a lot of the army has already set up camp. Let’s head there.” 

Keith nodded and ran in the direction of where he’d left Red. He found the horse still tied to the tree he had left her at, noticeably more spooked. He approached her and said, “Hey, there, girl, it’s me. It’s Keith. I’m going to get you out of here.” When Keith was certain he wasn’t going to get kicked, he cut the rope and climbed on top of Red. He pushed her in the opposite direction of the riverbank and rejoined the panicked soldiers sprinting away from Daibazaal. Keith arrived at the promised clearing and found that a lot of tents had already been sloppily set up. He rode through the makeshift camp, trying to find his men. He spotted Kolivan and dropped down from Red. “Hey, Kolivan, what happened?” 

“Daibazaal was better protected than had been anticipated. We needed to pull back and reevaluate our strategy. We were foolish to think that Daibazaal was any less chaotic and patriotic than it had been years ago.” 

“Ulaz had feared something like this might happen.” 

“Ulaz was not the only one. You’re too young to remember Daibazaal like we do, but I also did not share King Takashi’s optimism. Set up your tent and get some rest. We’re likely to meet soon.” 

Despite having more questions than answers, Keith decided that Kolivan was right. He found a clear area and began assembling his tent, his muscles protesting. He put up the tent in the sloppiest manner possible and dropped himself onto a blanket to rest. He didn’t know how long he was out, but all too soon he was being shaken awake. “Let’s go. King Takashi is having us meet in his tent.” Keith peered up at Kolivan and groaned before standing. He followed his General to the meeting spot, which was simply Shiro’s large tent hastily reassembled. The two of them ducked inside. 

Keith was thankful to see that no one was missing, but the injuries were plentiful. Shay had a bandage wrapped around her forearm that was seeping blood. Hunk was favoring his left leg. Even Allura had a grisly gash on her forehead. Shiro was just as regal and pristine as the last time Keith had seen him, but there was a look of grief on his face as he looked out on his closest allies and friends. “Tonight didn’t go as planned and for that, I am sorry.” 

The tent was silent until Kolivan snorted. “You can’t see past your arrogance. Tonight went as well as I expected.” 

“How dare you! Tonight was supposed to end the war! Now what do we do?” screamed Allura, jumping to her feet. 

Kolivan shook his head. “To believe that Daibazaal can be taken in a day is foolish. You wouldn’t have trusted me if I’d said as much, but we needed to take the fighting to the capital one way or another. Now the real war can begin.” 

“How dare you?” 

“Allura! He’s right. With the fighting now primarily within Galra territory, it means our own people won’t get stuck in the crossfires. I didn’t want to keep putting our people in danger. This was the correct move, whether we want it to be or not. Now we just have to see this war until the end,” said Shiro. 

Allura dropped herself back down in her chair and crossed her arms. “For our alliance and our future marriage, you better hope so.” 

“I know so. The minute the Galra surrender, we can go home.” He turned to look back at everyone else. “For now, we have to properly set up this camp and establish a route back to the original one. I don’t expect us to be here as long as we had predicted we’d be at the border, but there’s no use in not having a proper camp. We need to double our defenses and stay alert lest the Galra attack.” With that, the discussion seemed to be over. As most of the tent filtered out, Keith stayed rooted in his chair until only he, Shiro, and Allura were left.

“Is something wrong, Keith?” said Shiro.

“I... well, not exactly, but I had something I thought I would share with you and Allura.” 

Shiro looked surprised as he leaned towards Keith. “For the both of us?”

Keith nodded. “It pertains specifically to Allura, actually, but I thought you would want to know as well.”

“Oh?” said Allura, raising her eyebrow. “What is it?”

“On the wall, I ended up fighting a Galran soldier that seemed to be of a higher status than most of the other soldiers we had fought. He ended up escaping, but before he did, he said,   
‘Tell that Altean Princess that Prince Lotor sends his regards.’ I’m not exactly sure what to make of it, but I thought I should at least let you know.” 

Allura suddenly looked nervous. “Are you sure he said ‘Prince Lotor’ and not something else?” 

Keith nodded. “I’m positive. Who is Prince Lotor?”

“He’s the Galran prince, the only son of Emperor Zarkon. Not much is known about him since he keeps out of the public eye, but I don’t know what connection he could possibly have to you, Allura,” said Shiro.

Allura sighed. “I met him once as a child. My people were trying to form a treaty with the Galra and we were both young so we were tasked to entertain each other and keep each other out of trouble while the adults talked. But I haven’t thought about that in years. I barely even remember him.” 

“It was probably just a scare tactic to freak us out,” said Keith definitively. 

Allura nodded. “I hope so, Keith. I was going to spend sometime with my husband, but I’m going to need to think about this alone and see if I can remember why he would mention me like that. It might give us some clues as to what the Galra are thinking.”

“Alright. Make sure to get some rest and have someone take a look at your forehead,” said Shiro.

“I will, dear.” Allura stood up and leaned down to press a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. With that, she glided out of the tent. 

The second she was gone, Keith walked over to Shiro and took his hand in his, pressing a kiss to the knuckle. Shiro looked up at him in confusion. “How was traveling here?” said Keith with a soft smile. 

Shiro returned the smile, but his expression was strained. “It could have been better. I’m a bit rattled and ready to take a nap.” 

“Need me to keep you company while your wife is preoccupied?” Keith’s smile widened in excitement. 

Shiro shook his head and Keith’s smile fell. “Sorry, Keith. Maybe next time.” He slipped his hand out of Keith’s. “I’m sure there’s people that need your help with stuff, anyway. Go check in with your men and then maybe think about getting some rest.” 

Keith stared at Shiro in confusion, but decided that it wasn’t worth pushing the subject. “Okay. Have a good nap.” Keith pressed a kiss to Shiro’s temple and left the tent.

Weeks turned into months and the war went on. Aside from the occasional battle where they would ride out towards Daibazaal, the camp fell into a period of stagnation. Keith watched hundreds of men lose their lives one after the other. He knew that war was violent and full of death, but as they bury the bodies, his psyche began to crack. He watched a man he’d known since childhood, Antok, die by the hands of a Galran archer. He’d made sure to bring the body back to camp.

Keith’s relationship with Shiro began to fall into a strange pattern. Some nights, Shiro sought Keith out. They would hold each other in Keith’s tent, recounting their fears of the war. But whenever Keith approached Shiro, he was sent away with a slew of excuses. Sometimes, Keith got to feel Shiro’s touch on his skin and he came with Shiro pressed as close as possible. When Keith offered to return the favor, he was met with rejection. 

One night, Keith decided to pay Lance a visit. As he approached the bright blue tent a bit away from the center of camp, he spotted a girl from the medical tent on her way out. Keith thought nothing of it until the girl spotted him. She blushed and quickly ran away. Keith raised an eyebrow and then shouted, “Hey, Lance, can I talk to you?”

“Fuck, one second!” Keith could hear some shifting behind the tent and then Lance popped his head out. “Come on in!” Keith stepped inside. He looked around the tent and dropped himself into the only chair available. Lance was wearing a blue robe and, when he sat down on his bedroll, Keith realized he wasn’t wearing much else. Keith made a sour expression. “So what’s up with you?” asked Lance, disregarding Keith’s obvious discomfort. 

Keith hesitated, but only for a moment. Lance was the only one he could talk to, even if he was an exhausting human being. “So you know how we established I liked someone? Someone I shouldn’t like?” 

“Mmmhmmm.” 

“So I’m in a bit of a... predicament, you could say.” 

That immediately got Lance’s attention. “Oh! Sounds like drama. Hit me with it!” 

Keith rolled his eyes. “Okay, the thing is, well, we’ve been kind of sleeping together.”

Lance whistled. “Hot damn, Keith. I didn’t know you had it in you.” 

Keith blushed. “Not like that! Okay, I mean, sort of like that, but that’s sort of the problem. Mostly we just cuddle and kiss and fall asleep together before they leave at the crack of dawn. But sometimes, they want to touch me. And it’s great, not complaining. But whenever I try to return the favor, they don’t want me to. I’m not exactly sure what to do and I can’t help but think there’s something wrong with me.” 

“Woah, hold up! You’re upset that someone is willing to get you off and is asking for nothing in return? What’s wrong with you?”

Keith huffed. “I feel like I’m taking advantage! I know that’s not what’s going on since I offer to reciprocate, but I still feel kind of gross about it! Ugh, I knew telling you was a bad idea.” Keith turned to stomp out of Lance’s tent, but Lance grabbed his arm.

“Listen, I get it. You care about this person and you want to make them feel as good as they make you feel?” Keith nodded. “It’s nice that you’re thinking that. Like kudos and all that, but you can’t do anything about it if they don’t want it. You’ve got two options here. You can either end this because of how awkward it makes you feel or you can just let it happen as it happens. But between you and me, if someone was offering me blowjobs without asking anything in return, I would try to drag that out as long as possible.” 

Keith winced. “Gross. But there’s also like... the never wanting to see me when I want to see them?” 

“Wait what?”

“Yeah, like he’ll seek me out a lot, but whenever I ask to spend the night with them, I’m always brushed aside.” 

“Keith, that’s not great. You know that, right? But maybe it’s a secrecy thing. I mean, it’s probably Allura, right? And Allura has to keep Shiro off of her tail. So maybe she’s only coming to you when she knows she won’t get caught. Maybe she’s just trying to be careful.” 

Keith sighed. Lance was such an idiot. “Yeah, maybe. I still don’t feel good about it, though.” 

“I get that, buddy, but hey, maybe you should talk to her about it.” 

Keith shook his head. “I’m scared that will scare the- her off and that all of this will end.” 

Lance smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides, this can’t continue forever anyway. Just enjoy it while it lasts.”

Keith left Lance’s tent with his last words on his mind. He wasn’t sure if talking to Lance gave him the answer that he was looking for, but being able to talk to someone about it was nice. Either way, Lance was right. His relationship with Shiro had to end at some point. Why would he rush its end? For now, he would just enjoy what he had.

But the feeling didn’t go away. Keith spent the entire next day tiptoeing around Shiro and avoiding him as much as possible. He knew logically that he had no right to confront Shiro. He was nothing more than an affair. Sure, Shiro was much more attracted to him than his wife. Considering everything he knew about Shiro’s love life, he would probably make a better spouse for him than Allura, but none of that mattered. Shiro had agreed to the marriage knowing he would never fall in love with Allura. Regardless of any feelings Shiro might have for Keith, he would never choose him over Allura. 

The following night, Keith decided to go for a walk to clear his head. The camp was quiet. He walked along the perimeter, putting forward the facade that he was just checking up on the night watch. During the day, Keith could hardly be left alone to his thoughts. Nighttime was a blessing that he’d recently begun to take full advantage of. 

He heard a crack, like a stick breaking. Before he could react, something grabbed him and pulled him into the bushes. Keith struggled as he was wrestled to the ground. Suddenly, the weight on top of him was lifted and he stared up at a man in armor. It was the same man that Keith had fought all of those months ago during their first attack on Daibazaal. Keith began to panic, but the man pulled his helmet off and let his long, white hair cascade down from it. Keith stared with wide eyes as he said, “So we meet again, Marmoran Knight. I come in peace, as ridiculous as that might sound right now. My name is Prince Lotor. I bring with me a solution that could end this stupid war once and for all. Could you take me to see the King of Voltron and Princess Allura?” 

Keith nodded and clamored awkwardly to his feet. He held out his hand and said, “Give me your weapons first. Then I’ll take you to see them.” 

Lotor chuckled. “I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything less.” He unbuckled his sword from his belt and passed it to Keith. Keith took it and held out his other hand. Lotor studied him for a moment and then sighed. “I suppose you’re smarter than you let on.” He reached down into his boots and pulled out two daggers, passing them to Keith. “That’s all the weapons, I swear.” 

Satisfied, Keith waved Lotor forward. “After you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter took longer than I expected, but it's one of the longer chapters so hopefully that makes up for it. Hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Warning: character death at the end!

Keith held one of the daggers to Lotor’s side as he escorted him through the camp, not a single other person in sight. They headed straight to Kolivan’s tent. When they were standing outside, Keith shouted, “Kolivan! Wake up!” 

Keith heard a crash and a slew of curses before Kolivan stuck his head out of the tent. He looked Keith up and down and then did the same for Lotor. “Keith, who’s the Galra soldier and what’s he doing in our camp?” 

“He says he’s Prince Lotor and that he wants to talk to Allura. Says he’s on our side.”

Kolivan narrowed his eyes at Lotor. “Prince Lotor? The very Prince Lotor that’s Zarkon’s son?”

“Ah, so you have heard of me,” said Lotor with a smug smile on his face. 

“Keith, leave him with me and go wake up King Takashi and Princess Allura. I’ll take him to Ulaz’s tent. Meet me there.” Keith nodded as Kolivan drew his sword and pointed it at Lotor. “Let’s go, and no funny business or this goes through your chest.” 

Keith dropped Lotor’s weapons off at his tent before going to wake Shiro up. He walked into Shiro’s tent to find the meeting area unsurprisingly empty. He walked to the back of the tent to the flap that led to the sleeping quarters. “Hey, Shiro! It’s Keith!” There was no response and Keith felt a sense of panic begin to bubble up. “I’m coming in!” He expected to find Shiro asleep, but the sleeping quarters were just as empty as the rest of the tent. Keith heard footsteps behind him and spun around to see Shiro’s head poking in. 

“Keith? What are you doing here?”

“We have a bit of a situation. Some Galra soldier is here claiming to be Prince Lotor. He wants to talk to you and Allura.” 

“Like... the Prince Lotor? Zarkon’s son?” Keith nodded. “Okay, where is he now?”

“Kolivan took him to Ulaz’s tent and told me to wake you up.” 

“Okay, I’ll go wake Allura.”

“Do you know where Ulaz’s tent is? I can come with you and then escort you and Allura if you don’t.”

Shiro smiled. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” 

Keith followed Shiro outside. They walked to a large white tent with light blue accents located in a part of the camp that Keith seldom found himself in. Shiro shouted, “Allura, you awake?” When there was no response, Shiro said, “I’ll go wake her up. Wait here.” He disappeared inside. 

A moment later, Shiro reappeared with Allura behind him. She was noticeably still in her sleepwear with a robe thrown over her shoulders while she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. “Keith, am I hearing right that Prince Lotor is in the camp?” 

“That’s who this man is claiming to be.”

“Take us to him immediately.” 

Without another word, Keith led them to Ulaz’s tent. The walk over was silent and Keith felt like he could cut the tension with a knife. They arrived at Ulaz’s tent. Kolivan and Ulaz were standing against Ulaz’s desk, swords pointed at Lotor who was tied to a chair in the middle. As the three of them entered, Lotor picked his head up. “Ah, Princess Allura. It has been far too long.” 

Allura stared, completely silent. Eventually, she narrowed her eyes and said, “Why are you here? You’re lucky our men didn’t murder you on sight. There’s still no guarantee we won’t deliver your head on a spike to your father.”

“You mean this is actually Prince Lotor?” said Keith, eyes wide. 

“I’m just as surprised as you are, Keith,” said Allura, approaching Lotor as someone approached a ravenous lion. “What I don’t understand is why he would risk his life to come here.” 

“My father has lost sight of what it means to be the emperor of the Galra Empire. We’ve never been peaceful, but we’ve always tried to do what we felt was best for our people. He believes that the Galra Empire should span the entirety of the continent, but he’s ignoring the fact that our dead are beginning to pile up. People are fleeing away from the border settlements and even more are fleeing from Daibazaal. Nothing is worth this senseless bloodshed. I knew that you, Princess Allura, would never let me die without hearing me out. The same blood that runs in your veins runs in mine. If we work together, we can end this war.” 

Shiro narrowed his eyes. “Allura, what is he talking about?” 

Allura sighed. “He’s over exaggerating. His mother is a distant relative of mine, more by marriage than anything else. The only blood we share is the blood that all Alteans share.” 

“Yes, but you love your people. So much so that you are marrying this clumsy buffoon of a king just so that you can stop my mother from inheriting the Altean throne the moment your father dies.”

“Allura, what is he talking about?” Shiro’s stare was harsh. 

Allura glared at Lotor. “He lies and inflates things. There are many reasons that I am marrying you, but all of them will create a stronger Altea and a stronger Voltron.” 

Lotor chuckled. “Then it’s purely a coincidence that right now, my mother is the only married member of the Altean royal other than your parents? Last I heard, your father was on his deathbed, was he not? I seem to remember that my father also offered my hand in marriage only two years ago, but I suppose inheriting the Altean throne through his wife will also suit him just fine.” 

Allura slammed her hands onto the armrests of Lotor’s chair and leaned in close. “Give me a reason not to tie boulders to your ankles and toss you into the river.” 

“No need for that, Princess. As it stands, my father cannot govern his own nation, never mind another he hasn’t visited in almost twenty years. I want to stop this war as much as you do and as a sign of good faith, I have come with tactical knowledge. My father is planning on invading Marmora soon, as soon as your army stages another attack on Daibazaal, in fact. He believes that he can sneak past your forces as you are recovering, destroy Marmora, and return before you can attack again. And he’s right. He knows when you will attack within three days of it happening because of how predictable your strategies have been. But if you change them up, you will catch him unaware and destroy the city, forcing him to surrender.” 

“Why are you okay with us destroying your capital?” said Keith. 

“I don’t like it, but if there’s anything I know about the people of Daibazaal, they won’t go down without a fight. I don’t believe you will cause any real harm to the city, but if my father believes he’s lost his capital, he will surrender.” 

“Won’t a dead heir do the same? I don’t want any unnecessary blood on my hands, but I’d rather sacrifice you than more of my knights. You don’t have any siblings, right?” said Shiro.

Lotor shook his head. “My father long stopped caring about whether or not I live or die. You don’t have to believe me, but riding towards Daibazaal with my corpse will simply enrage him further. He will see it as nothing more than a challenge. He loves his capital far more than he has ever loved me.” 

“He still needs an heir,” said Shiro. 

Lotor broke out in uncontrollable laughter. Keith and Shiro looked at each other awkwardly. Lotor steadied himself and wiped the amused tears from his face. “He is by no stretch of the imagination a rational man. He believes he’s found the key to immortality. It’s all bullshit, obviously, but no one can convince him that he won’t live forever. I may have been originally born to take over the throne, but that hasn’t been the plan for years now.” 

“I suppose I have heard rumors of Emperor Zarkon losing himself in his old age,” said Allura pensively. 

Lotor tugged on his constraints. “If you don’t have anymore questions, would you mind untying me and putting those swords down so we can properly talk?”

“I think you’re perfectly fine where you are,” said Keith with a huff. 

“Suit yourself. I can sit here all night, but I won’t say another word about my father’s plans until you release me. Also, if possible, I wouldn’t mind some food. Sneaking out of the city caused me to miss dinner, I’m afraid.”

“Keith, tell your men to stand down,” said Allura, her voice harsh. 

Keith sighed. “Fine. Kolivan, Ulaz, let’s untie him.” He looked back at Lotor. “This doesn’t mean we’re not watching you.” 

Lotor smiled. “Of course, of course.” Kolivan and Ulaz made quick work of the bonds and Lotor sat back in his chair, rubbing his wrists. “This can’t be everyone important in camp, can it? You’re going to want all of your military leaders to hear this.” 

“We should wake Lance, Pidge, and Hunk up. Matt’s on a mission back to the other camp so no point looking for him,” said Shiro. “I will go wake them up. Allura, would you mind staying here? He seems to be appeased by your presence.” 

“Ulaz and I will stay with you to make sure Lotor doesn’t try anything,” said Kolivan. 

Lotor sighed. “Such hostility. Now don’t forget to bring me some food, Your Majesty. I’m much more agreeable on a full stomach.” 

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’ll go wake up Hunk and try to help him find some leftovers for His Princeliness. Shiro, I’m sure you’ll have your hands full with Lance and Pidge.” 

Shiro smiled. “Thanks, Keith.” The two of them walked out of the tent and into the cool night air. 

As they walked towards the center of camp, Keith said, “Do you really believe he’s actually Prince Lotor?” 

Shiro shrugged. “Allura’s the only one of us who’s ever seen him. Even though it’s odd that he’s here, if she’s convinced, I’m willing to hear him out.”

“You and Allura have gotten really close lately.” 

“Well, we are leading this army together.” Shiro paused. “Are you mad at me?”

Keith paused, the question taking him aback. He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not. I think it’s nice. You two will be great co-rulers. It’s just that I’ve missed you.” Shiro was about to say something, but before he could, Keith pointed in front of them. “There’s Hunk’s tent. I’ll see you later.” He dashed towards the yellow tent. When he was standing in front of it, he shouted, “Hey, Hunk! Shay! Wake up!” 

Keith heard a thump and then a quick curse before Hunk stuck his head out of the tent. “Keith, it’s the middle of the night. Not to be rude, but why?” 

“Lotor is in one of my knights’ tent. He says he’s on our side and has some information that can help us win this war. Shiro is waking everyone up. Also, Lotor says he won’t talk without food, so...” 

Hunk’s eyes grew wide and then narrowed. “So this spoiled prince or whatever he is insists on us making him a meal at this ungodly hour? Well, from everything I’ve heard about him, that sounds exactly how he would act, but why should we give him what he wants?” 

Keith smiled and held up his hands. “I’m here to help.” 

Hunk sighed and turned his head back to yell, “Hey, Honey, I gotta make some food for some princely dick with Keith and then we’re going to see what he has to say. Just go back to sleep, okay?” 

There was another thump and Shay appeared next to Hunk. She raised her eyebrow at him and said, “So you think I’m going to let you interrogate some stuffy Galra prince without me? I’m coming with you. Besides, does Keith even know how to cook?” 

“Well, I know the basics, but it’s not like we have to give this guy anything good.”

Hunk’s eyes widened. “Of course we do! My pride as a chef is on the line here!” He turned back to his wife and grinned. “I guess I’m going to need your help after all.” 

Keith waited outside of the tent as Hunk and Shay got dressed and then the three of them headed to the kitchen tent. Hunk handed Keith a hunk of bread and a knife. “All I’m going to have you do is cut a few pieces of this, okay?” Keith nodded and settled into a corner to work. 

The three of them walked to Ulaz’s tent when Lotor’s meal was complete. Once the food was in his hands, Lotor began making a show of eating it as they all watched in abject disgust. Next to Keith, Shay and Lance sleepily slumped against Hunk who was ready to pass out himself. When Lotor was finally satisfied, he licked his fingers and said, “Okay, now I’m ready to talk.” The meeting dragged on for most of the night. It finally wrapped up just as dawn was beginning to peak through the trees. Keith was finally free. He dragged himself back to his tent and crashed down onto his bed. Lotor’s swords were still lying on his desk, but he paid them no mind. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time for dreamland. The general commotion of the camp woke him only a few hours later. He sat up and sighed, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes. He picked his knapsack off of the floor and rummaged through it for his notebook. Crawling out of bed in nothing but his underclothes, he knocked Lotor’s swords onto the floor and began crafting a letter at his desk.

“Unto Her Majesty, Queen Krolia of Marmora;

I hope this letter finds you and the rest of your army in good health. I write to you with potentially good news for the future of this war. A Galran soldier arrived at our camp claiming peace and offering insight on future military operations that Emperor Zarkon is planning. He also claims to be Prince Lotor. Princess Allura, the only one to have met the Galran heir, seems to be convinced, although I still maintain my doubts. He claims that Emperor Zarkon plans to stage an attack on Marmora and will deploy is army following our next attack on Daibazaal. I urge you to prepare for this attack in the event that we are unsuccessful in our attempts. Prince Lotor claims that with his insight, we will be able to take down Daibazaal and with it, Emperor Zarkon’s resolve to continue this war, but I remain skeptical. We will try to send as many men as we can to come help you, but we are limited in who we can spare. 

Send news of home. I miss it so. 

Your Obedient Servant,  
Sir Keith of Mamora” 

Keith read the letter over multiple times, wishing he could be more sincere, but knowing he could not. He wanted to ask about royal matters and how his mother was doing, but if anyone were to intercept the letter, it would compromise his true identity. He sighed and finished dressing before going to find the messenger beasts. 

Messenger pigeons had been used by all of the nations for centuries, but Altean magic had allowed other animals to be used in such a way. The first time Keith had tied a letter to a house cat was a baffling experience. Keith stuck his head into the animal tent to find Pidge settled on the floor and brushing out the fur of a small dog. They looked just as exhausted as Keith felt. He pulled his letter out of his pocket and said, “I didn’t know you were responsible for all of this.” 

Pidge looked up at Keith and smiled wistfully. “It was a bit of a promotion a week ago. Last person who held this post is kind of dead.” Pidge pushed the small dog off of their lap and stood up. “What can I help you with?” 

Keith held the letter up to Pidge’s face. “I have to send a letter to my queen. It’s about what happened during last night’s meeting. Can you ensure it gets there?” 

Pidge tapped their chin in thought. “Well, as you probably know, most communications to Marmora are first sent to our border camp before they go to Queen Krolia’s army, but we recently got some interesting new beasts from Altea that might make sending direct letters possible.” They walked over to a large enclosure where a few strangely colored wolves were play fighting with each other. Pidge pulled opened the door and dragged the closest one to them out of the enclosure. This particular wolf was black and blue and was wearing a metal collar around its neck. “Meet the top of the line in inter-camp communication, the teleporting wolf. She can teleport up to one hundred meters away. I personally call her Kosmo, but you can call her whatever you want.” 

“A teleporting wolf?” said Keith, staring down at the animal. The wolf in question turned to look at Keith and, not even two seconds later, jumped up to lick his face. Keith yelped and pushed the wolf off. “Down! Down!” 

Pidge laughed. “Oh, I think she likes you!” 

Keith glared daggers until Pidge pulled the wolf back. “Okay, but I’m not seeing the teleporting part,” he said. 

“Well, if we let the wolves teleport as much as they want, they’d be impossible to keep track of and we’d have no wolves.” Pidge tapped the collar around the wolf’s neck. “This collar is a magic dampener and each of the animals with more unusual abilities have them. This wolf isn’t teleporting anywhere until it comes off. We’ve only used these wolves a couple of times, but they’ve all made it to their destination just fine.” 

Keith shrugged. “Well, if you say it’s efficient and safe, then it works for me.” He passed Pidge the letter so they could affix it to the wolf’s neck. “How long do you think it will take?”

“To get to Marmora? Shouldn’t be more than a week. Probably closer to four or five days.” Pidge walked over to a desk and took a jar out of a drawer. They pulled the stopper off of it and waved it in front of the wolf’s nose. The wolf immediately perked up and began looking around. Pidge grabbed her collar and with a click, it was removed. The second the collar was gone from her neck, the wolf was gone. Pidge grinned. “Cool, huh?” 

Keith returned the smile. “It’s definitely something, that’s for sure. Thanks for helping me out.” 

“Anytime, Keith. It’s literally now my job.” 

As Keith returned to the more central part of the camp, he saw Shiro running in his direction, slightly out of breath. Keith tried not to think about how he’d love nothing more than to make Shiro’s breath ragged in other ways. “Hey, everyone’s looking for you. Do you still have Lotor’s weapons?” said Shiro. 

Keith cocked his head. “I do. Why?” 

“We’ve decided to let Lotor go back to Daibazaal.” 

“What? Why?” 

“He says that, while he often disappears for days at a time, if he stays here too long, his mother will start to question his whereabouts. Either way, I think it’s best to get him out of the camp before we finalize our plans. I know he’s in Ulaz’s tent and if we needed to keep him for a while, we could transfer him to another tent, but having him gone makes things easier for us.” 

Keith frowned. Lotor was considered to be a tactical genius. Giving him back to Zarkon wasn’t a comforting thought, but the last thing they wanted was to have Zarkon or his Queen personally show up to the camp. “All right, I’ll go get his weapons.” 

“Thank you, Keith. You’re the best. We’re meeting at the front of the camp for the sendoff.” 

“Okay. I’ll see you there.” With that, Keith headed straight for his tent. The weapons were still scatted on the floor where he had thrown them and he quickly picked them up. He ran out of the tent to the meeting spot. When he arrived, Kolivan and Ulaz were pushing Lotor into the clearing. Shiro was sitting under a tree that Allura was leaning against. Next to Shiro sat Lance, lazily eating an apple. 

Ulaz smiled. “Ah, Keith, there you are.” 

“Yes, yes, the Marmoran knight is here. Now, if you’ll free me, I’ll be on my way,” said Lotor with a dramatic huff. Kolivan cut the rope from Lotor’s wrists and Lotor rubbed the stiffness out of them. Keith held out his weapons. Lotor placed the daggers back into his boots, then took his sword and returned it to his side. 

“Thank you for all of your help. Your information will be invaluable to ending this war,” said Allura. “We wish you safe travels back to the city.” Keith tried to keep a neutral expression, but he found Allura’s tone slightly kinder than he’d expected. In all likelihood, it was nothing more than an attempt at diplomacy. 

Lotor smiled. “The pleasure is all mine, Princess. Well, I’ll be off now. I hope to see you all soon. Don’t wait too long to attack. My father is known to get impatient.” With that, he disappeared into the trees. 

“Are we sure he’s going back to the city?” said Lance. 

“I sent a few knights to follow him. If he goes anywhere but where he said he was, they’ll let me know,” said Shiro, standing up from the tree root. “Let’s head back to camp. Lunch is probably ready.” Almost as if on cue, Keith’s stomach growled. Shiro raised his eyebrow and Keith blushed.

They spent the next few days planning. Keith hardly left Shiro’s tent, the strategy meetings often dragging on into the night. Eventually, all of their hard work came to fruition. They would mount a small attack on Daibazaal in three days’ time. After that, they would only wait forty-eight hours before sending their entire army in to fight. Keith helped the knights prepare. It felt strange to be hanging back when his knights were risking their lives, but he knew it would be worth it in the end.

The night of the battle, Keith heard the clanging of swords and screaming from his tent. He itched to pick up a weapon, to fight, but he forced himself to stay put. It would end in a few hours. They just had to put up enough of a challenge for it to be believable. He closed his eyes to try and sleep through the worst of the noise when a soft, “Keith? You awake?” came from outside of the tent. 

Keith sat up on his bedroll and called out, “Come in!” Shiro entered, a sheepish smile on his face. “Hey. Can’t sleep either?” 

Shiro shook his head. “The war ending within the week seems too good to be true.” 

“You don’t trust Lotor, either.” It wasn’t a question.

Shiro answered anyway. “I’m not sure. I want to trust him. Allura trusts him, and I trust her, but it would be nice to talk to someone else about it.”

Keith shifted over and patted the bed next to him. “You can always talk to me.” 

Shiro’s expression seemed to soften as he sat down next to Keith. “It’s just... it seems too good to be true, you know? I know the Galra. Lotor may be half Altean, but I have a hard time believing that he’d want peace. The Galra see bloodshed as nothing more than what must be done. I keep trying to talk to Allura about it, but she insists that everything will be fine. I don’t know what else to do. The two of us need to be a united front.”

Keith snorted. “I’m not going to give you advice for how to save your relationship with your soon-to-be wife.”

Shiro rolled his eyes. “It’s not about that. I just want to know I’m not crazy, but maybe I am. I can’t fight anymore. What if the Galra took my ability to be rational, too?” 

Keith dropped his hand onto Shiro’s knee. “You’re more rational than the rest of us combined. I grew up distrusting the Galra. I know it’s never this simple. I think if you weren’t suspicious, then that would be more concerning.”

“Yeah. I guess there’s not much we can do. Our plan is the best one we have. I know I’m needlessly worrying.” 

“Anything I can do to help?” 

Shiro dropped his head onto Keith’s shoulder. “Just having your company is enough. ” They stayed there for a while just listening to each other’s breathing. As a loud crash exploded in the distance, Keith felt Shiro stiffen. He wrapped his arms around Shiro’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Shiro sighed. “It’s always like this when I’m left behind. I can hear the fighting and it drives me crazy thinking about who might not be coming back. Other than a few soldiers, the only other people in the camp are medics and I can’t help but feel like everyone’s already dead.”

Keith pressed a kiss to Shiro’s temple. “It’ll all be over soon.” He swallowed the lump that built in his throat. “You’ll get married and I’ll be there at your wedding getting drunker than I’ve ever been before.”

“I don’t want to think about how that’ll be the next time I see you after this is all over.” 

“Just think about how great my toast will be. Afterwards, we can make out in the garden and I’ll try not to vomit on your shoes.”

“Hey! Don’t make me ban you from alcohol before the wedding has even been scheduled.” 

Keith laughed, but then fell quiet as he squeezed Shiro tight. The soft scent of a campfire lingered on Shiro’s clothes and Keith let himself be warmed. He knew that no matter how much he prepared himself, watching Shiro marry Allura would shatter his heart. Keith was selfish; he stayed within Shiro’s orbit and dared to hope for more even though it was impossible. 

“Do you remember when we were kids and snuck out of the castle?” said Shiro suddenly, breaking the soft silence.

Keith smiled against Shiro’s shoulder. “How could I not? I thought I was being such a rebel. It didn’t end well, but I’m not known for thinking logically.” 

“You were so excited and I thought I was being this cool, badass older kid, even though I had definitely never snuck out before.” 

“I remember you cried harder than I did when you fished me out of the river.” Keith pulled back so that he could look Shiro in the eye. “It was sweet, even if it definitely made you lose your cool kid credibility.” 

Shiro chuckled. “And how would you have reacted in my shoes? I nearly lost a foreign prince in a river and at the time, I was nothing more than a distant member of the royal family. I was certain they were going to execute me.” 

“So is that why you saved me? To cover your own ass?” 

“Yeah, definitely. At twelve years old, I was a real sociopath with no regard for life.” 

“You know, I sort of saw you as my hero after that. We left the next day so I never got to tell you how much I appreciated the fact that you dived into the river after me. It made me want to save people, too.” 

“You never told me about that.” 

“You never really asked.” 

“That’s true, I suppose. I should ask you more things.” 

“Hmm... Maybe, but right now I know a better use of your mouth.” Keith took Shiro’s face in his hands and pulled their lips together. He let out an embarrassing moan as Shiro trailed a hand down his back. Shiro smirked and Keith dropped his hands to Shiro’s sides. Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith’s hips and pulled him onto his lap. Keith pressed his hips down on Shiro’s lap. Shiro let out a low groan. The sound rolled down Keith’s spine in pleasurable shockwaves. Before long, they were rutting against each other, their mouth hot and urgent. 

“Fuck, Keith,” said Shiro with a gasp. He tangled his hand in Keith’s hair and his other hand was pressed against Keith’s back, holding him as close as he could. 

Keith pulled back from Shiro’s mouth to whisper, “You know, there’s a better way to do this. I could make you feel so good.” 

“Don’t you dare move,” growled Shiro and the words traveled straight to Keith’s cock. He felt Shiro thrust up harshly and he pressed his lips back to Shiro’s. They moved against each other, animalistic in the way they chased their pleasure. Keith felt like he was sixteen again, rutting against another no name squire behind a tree, but this was no squire. Shiro could break Keith easily if he wanted to, but his touches were soft and desperate. It drove Keith mad. 

Keith felt Shiro’s lips leave his as his thrusts became erratic. Keith opened his eyes to see Shiro arching his back; his head thrown back, mouth open in pleasure. A low moan erupted from Shiro’s throat. Keith gasped and spilled into his leggings, his orgasm following Shiro’s. They pressed their foreheads against each other and their harsh breaths mingled together. Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s shoulders and pressed his face into the crook of his neck, his heart racing a mile a minute. 

“Shit, I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away,” said Shiro.

Keith laughed. “I was right! You do have a cute orgasm!” Shiro huffed and licked a long stripe along Keith’s neck. Keith squealed, trying to wiggle away from Shiro’s mouth. “Hey! What was that for?” 

“Because you’re ridiculous and I’m trying to apologize.” 

Keith rolled his eyes and climbed off of Shiro’s lap. He felt the blood flow return to his stiff legs and dropped down onto the bedroll. “I was a willing participant, you know. A very willing participant, I might add.” He hooked his thumbs into his waistband and, with one quick motion, pulled his leggings and undergarments down and tossed them into the corner of the tent. Shiro was pointedly looking away and blushing. Keith pulled his tunic down to cover his crotch. “You’ve sucked me off, but now you’re bashful?” 

Shiro’s face reddened even more. “The sight of you looking like this isn’t exactly something that’s easy to get used to, even if I enjoy it.” He leaned down to give Keith a quick kiss before standing up. He gestured downwards. “I should go back to my tent so I can clean up this mess.” 

“I’m planning on just sleeping naked and dealing with it in the morning. You’re welcome to just toss your clothes on the floor to dry and sleep here.” 

Shiro winced. “As tempting as waddling across camp in the early morning with a chafing dick is, I think I’m going to head out now.” Keith pouted, but Shiro kissed him again. “You’ll see me in the morning, anyway.” 

“It’s not the same and you know it.” 

Shiro kissed Keith’s nose and said, “I’ll stay longer next time.” 

Before Keith could stop himself, he said, “I love you.” He knew it was a mistake the second he’d said it. Shiro stiffened and pulled away. Keith tried to pull him back. “I’m sorry, it just-“ 

“I should go.” Without another word, Shiro ran out of the tent. Keith watched him leave and clutched his hair, letting out a guttural scream. He was stupid, so stupid. How could he have said something like that to Shiro? There couldn’t be anything like love between them. He was nothing more than an affair that Shiro was entertaining because the idea of sleeping with his fiancé was fundamentally unappealing. They had a good relationship. They worked well together during planning meetings. Keith would even go so far to say that they had developed a friendship, but falling in love with Shiro like this was nothing short of childish. 

Keith struggled to fall sleep, pulled tight into a fetal position with hot, fat tears rolling down his face. When he woke up and finished getting ready for the day, his movements felt stuff and hollow. The moment he stepped out of his tent, he was swept up in preparations for the oncoming battle. He realized that the only thing he could do was to forget about his mistake. Even if he had wanted to confront Shiro about it, there was no time. The returning army had thankfully suffered no more causalities than had been expected, but they needed to be in top shape to mount the next attack. Keith couldn’t dwell on personal matters. 

Not even two days later, Keith found himself standing once more among the top Marmoran knights. Sword in hand, he mounted Red and headed towards the riverbank with the rest of the army. All around him were soldiers that he had fought with for months. The fact that many of these people hadn’t seen their families in almost a year wasn’t lost on Keith, and he understood what was riding on the outcome of this battle. More than anything, he wanted to return his knights to Marmora safe and sound. 

The sound of Allura’s horn blared out and Keith pushed Red into a breakneck speed. His horse weaved through the trees, making a direct line for the closest crossing point. Although the Galra had long burned down the cross bridges, they had spent time building their own down the river. Keith hit the bridge and raced across it. Above his head, arrows soared towards the walls of the city. He made it to the other side with little resistance, but just as he did, Galra soldiers broke out from the front gate and clashed with the front of the army. 

As they pushed forward, it became obvious that there had been no reduction in the amount of troops that met them. Keith didn’t know what to make of it. Had Zarkon mounted a smaller attack on Marmora than Lotor had predicted? There was no way that he could have thought that such an attack would have worked. The Marmorans knew how to counter Galran attacks, had been prepared for it for the better part of twenty years. Zarkon couldn’t have underestimated Marmora that badly.

Keith’s eyes widened as he knocked another soldier to the ground. Somehow, Zarkon knew, which meant Lotor had set them up. Keith found that he wasn’t surprised. It was easy to work past the anger with every slash of his sword. The Galra were snakes and the crown prince was the biggest snake of them all. As long as they kept fighting, they might be able to turn things around. If it seemed fruitless, they could always run away again to lick their wounds and regroup. Rinse and repeat. He was a fool to let himself believe that any of them would see home anytime soon. This war would go on forever. 

He took down soldier after soldier, the feel of battle practically second nature. He’d long lost count of how many Galra he had killed; he’d stopped counting when doing so inadvertently caused him anguish over the lives he had ended. It was better them than the people Keith cared for. But all it took was one moment. Keith hadn’t even paid the dagger soaring over his head any mind, too preoccupied with keeping himself out of reach of a long sword. He heard a choking sound behind him and then a harsh thud. He slashed his sword through his attacker’s side just as he heard a violent scream rip through the crowd.

Keith turned his head to look at the source. Lance was kneeling in the dirt behind a tree, clutching an all too familiar figure to his chest. Keith bolted across the battlefield and dropped to Lance’s side, frantically feeling for Hunk’s pulse. A violent pool of blood erupted from where the knife had pierced through Hunk’s side. His eyes were distant and he was barely holding on to consciousness. 

“We... we have to get him back to camp! The medics will be able to patch him up!” said Lance with a sob. Keith began calculating the easiest method to move Hunk back to the camp when Hunk’s entire body went slack. The pulse under Keith’s fingertips went from dim to nonexistent. Lance gasped and shook Hunk’s body. “Hey, hey! Wake up! Hunk, please! You can’t leave me like this! Hunk!” Fat tears rolled down his cheek. “Keith, help me get him up!” 

Keith shook his head. “Lance! I can’t feel his pulse and we’re going to get ourselves killed if we try to rush him out of here!” 

“No! No! No! He can’t be dead! We can’t leave him!” Lance pressed his palm against Hunk’s cheek. “What am I supposed to do without you? You promised we’d always be together no matter what, even when you got married! What am I supposed to do? You were always the smart one! I’m just a big fat idiot without you!” 

Keith looked from Lance’s face to Hunk’s body then back to Lance’s face, his eyes going wide. He had always assumed that the person Lance was in love with had been back in Voltron, but realizing it now, it seemed obvious. He reached over and closed Hunk’s eyes with his fingers. “I promise I’ll help you bring his body back to the camp, but right now, if we don’t get up and fight, we won’t make it back, either.” He stood up and pulled Lance to his feet. 

Lance clutched Keith’s arm. “You promise we’ll come back for him?” After a moment, he added, “Shay needs him back, too.” 

Keith nodded. “Let’s make sure that his death wasn’t in vain.”


End file.
